Another Option
by FyreDragon
Summary: Kel is offered another choice by Alanna instead of a probationary year as a page.
1. A Lot of Letters

This is fanfiction and just about all the characters will be from Tamora Pierce's books. If there is another story similar to mine posted on this website (besides the basic idea that Kel decided not to accept the probationary year), I have not read it. I appreciate any reviews.  
  
Kel looked at the missive that had been delivered by a royal messenger only a few moments before. She had taken it to her room to read as it was one of the few private places she had in the castle. She read it again and anger began to replace disbelief.  
  
_In response to the letter you sent us earlier this year We have  
decided that if your daughter, Keladry of Midelan, still wishes to  
become a knight of the Realm of Tortall she may train for one  
probationary year. During said year she will be treated as a first  
year page and take the same classes and training as all first year  
pages. If by the end of her first year she still wishes to train, her  
performance will be evaluated by the page training master, Lord Wyldon  
of Cavall. If he believes her able she may then continue her  
training. If, however, he believes that she cannot or will not keep  
up with the male pages she will be releases from the training program.  
Please send your response to Lord Wyldon residing at the palace.  
Sincerely,  
His Majesty Jonathon of Conte IV  
_  
By the end of her second reading Kel was furious. She knew that Lord Wyldon was not a progressive and intensely disliked females performing in traditionally male roles. He had never kept his dislike a secret. The king must have known that putting her fate in his hand was the same as outright refusal, with one year of training while being ridiculed. Kel would have preferred an outright refusal, at least then there wouldn't be this sham of an attempt at fairness.  
  
As Kel prepared to shred the message, she noticed another note in the package the messenger had given her. This one was not written on the heavy official paper used by court scribes but on light expensive stationary. Kel broke the plain seal and glanced at the signature. When she read the name she nearly dropped the letter. The message was brief and to the point.  
  
_If you find the options presented to you by the crown unacceptable  
please contact me at my home, Pirates Swoop. May the Goddess bless  
you, whichever path you chose.  
-Alanna Cooper  
_  
Kel picked up her pen, took some paper from her desk and quickly wrote her reply.  
  
_Sir Alanna,  
I have found the conditions laid down by the crown on the matter of my  
training to be merely a ploy to soothe the king's conscience after his  
proclamation ten years ago. If you could offer me a better solution  
than returning to the Yamani Islands to continue my training I would  
gladly accept. I know that I cannot join the Shang as I am several  
years too old and I also do not think that Lord Wyldon would accept a  
twin brother of mine since I have declared my intentions. Please  
reply soon so that I may send an appropriate response to the palace.  
Sincerely,  
Keladry of Mindelan_  
  
When Alanna received the message four days later she showed it to her husband, George. "I'm glad she's intelligent enough to see through Jon's ploy and I'm furious at Jon for breaking his word like this. No mention of probation was made before or after that proclamation. She must feel like she has been betrayed by her own king."  
"Well, luv, what are your plans for the intelligent young girl whose rose colored glasses have just been broken?"  
Alanna looked at her husband seriously, "Well, I had planned to train her myself but... well, the Goddess visited me during evening prayer last night. Apparently there are big plans for Keladry of Midelan. She said I would be a good sword teacher but others would be coming to teach other stuff." Seeing George's disbelief Alanna exclaimed, "I swear George!"  
"I believe ya darling, its just hard sometimes coming to grips with the fact that my wife has conversations with the Gods."  
"Goddess, singular feminine. Oh and she also said to keep an eye out for 'other girls in need of guidance' which I think you should be able to handle, Master Spy." George just looked at her. "Don't look at me like that, George, I know you are perfectly capable of telling me exactly what Jon mumbles in his sleep every night just like you can tell me how Kaddar's courting is going."  
"Don't you think you ought to send a reply to Keladry? You might want to leave the Goddess bit out though. You don't want her to run screaming in the other direction, which is what I'd do if I'd been chosen by the Gods."  
Alanna looked up from the letter she had started to write, "But you were, George. You were chosen for me." George just gave her a pained expression and left the room in search of their rambunctious children.  
  
When Kel received the return message she opened it quickly and a gleam of excitement flashed in her eyes. Her decision for immediate training had been compounded when she found herself unable to rescue a litter of kittens from a spidren that had wandered onto Midelan land. She was going to Pirate's Swoop. Later that afternoon, after a long discussion with her parents, Kel sat down to write her to reply to King Jonathon's "generous" offer.  
  
_Lord Wyldon:  
After carefully reading the letter sent to me by His Majesty I regret  
to inform you that the conditions set down in it are unacceptable to  
me and my family. I will be seeking training from another source.  
While it may not be my first choice, hopefully I will still be able to  
help those in need of protection from people stronger or more powerful  
than they. Please inform His Majesty that the salve for his  
conscience was rejected and he may come to regret it in future years.  
Sincerely,  
Keladry of Mindelan  
_  
Two days later Keladry of Midelan was packed up and boarding a ship headed for Pirate's Swoop. The good-byes exchanged looked formal and stiff but it was only her Yamani training which kept Lady Ilane from crying at the farewell for she knew it would be a long time before she saw her youngest daughter again.  
  
In Corus, Lord Wyldon of Cavall requested a private audience with His Majesty King Jonathon. "Well my lord, have you had word from Baron Piers?"  
"No, Sire, Lady Keladry replied herself. I thought you should read it and perhaps send a copy to the Lioness to prove that we did not prevent her from training." The king raised an eyebrow and took the offered letter. After reading it her sighed.  
"Thank you, my lord. I think I will keep this for now. You may leave. I'm sure there are many important duties you must carry out before the first day of formal training."  
"Yes Sire."  
Once Wyldon had left Jon read the letter again. He'd had a feeling his decision would come back to haunt him. He looked up as the door from his private chambers opened. When he saw Thayet there he sighed, "You know, I believe that being a tyrant with absolute control might be a much better way to rule a country."  
Thayet smiled, "Rough day?"  
"Yeah. I think I should have just let Wyldon resign when that Midelan girl applied to be a page."  
Thayet's face lost its smile, "While I will always be grateful to him for saving Liam, Jasson and Liane's lives I'm afraid I must agree with the name Baird's son has given the training master. He is a Stump. A Stump stuck in mud for that matter."  
"Well what's done is done. However since fairness is required I must give the same option to all the females who apply to become pages."  
Thayet sighed unhappily. "And as long as you do that Alanna will stay away from Corus and getting information from George will be like pulling teeth from a lion."  
  
A few days later the ship which had left from Midelan was forced to stop in a small cove several miles from its destination to make repairs after running aground on hidden rocks. None of the very busy crew noticed when the small figure left the captain's cabin and no one noticed later when the same figure leapt over the rail and disappeared into the forest. When the ship docked in the harbor at Pirate's Swoop a week later the solemn eyed captain personally delivered luggage to the castle and requested a meeting with the lady of the manor.  
  
When the short stocky woman entered sweating and carrying a naked sword the captain gulped and hoped the bad tidings he brought would not bring the now sheathed sword down on his neck. "Milady...I...ah...I bring... ah... bad news regarding Lady Keladry of Mindelan."  
When the face in front of him remained impassive the man gulped again and pressed on in a rush, "We ran aground on some rock sever miles down the coast and Lady Keladry was above board taking some air when the boat tilted to one side and Lady Keladry was thrown onto the rocks. We retrieved the body but by the time we found it, it had also been discovered by sea scavengers. We thought it best to give her a sea burial." The woman looked only slightly annoyed that the girl who had been sent to her for fostering was dead.  
The woman let out a sigh, "Well I suppose I must now write to Baron Piers telling him she's dead. What a bother. What was the girl's name again?"  
"Ah... Keladry, Milady."  
"Thank you captain, you are dismissed."  
"Ah... Milady, what should I do with the luggage?"  
"Oh, leave it here. I'm sure we'll find some one who wants it." The captain left. It was clear to him now why the lady had preferred to run away than live with the Lady of Pirate's Swoop. He dreaded going back to Mindelan so after he sold his cargo he looked for a contract that would take him further north.  
  
In the room he had just left, the Lady of Pirate's Swoop smiled, "You can come out now Kel and George. I know you're there." A panel on the side of the room slid open and the Baron of Pirate's Swoop walked out with an unrepentant grin, followed by Keladry with a rather satisfied expression on her face.  
"I'm glad he came to tell you personally because with your act and the reason I gave for running away he'll pity me and not tell anyone what he thinks is the true story."  
"So now Keladry of Midelan is officially dead," said George.  
"Yes," said Alanna, "And now what should we write to your parents?"  
"Well we'd best tell them the whole story so they can put on a proper show but we should tell them not to tell anyone else, not even the family." A look of regret passed over Kel's face, "I think the only people I'm going to miss besides Mama and Papa are Anders and all my nieces and nephews." Shaking her head Kel said brightly, "Well, when do I start training?"  
"As soon as your instructors arrive."  
Seeing Kel's quizzical look Alanna sighed, "It's a long story but I'm only going to teach you swordsmanship. I'm told that others will come when they're needed. In the meantime would you like to get your trunks and take them to your cottage?"  
"Yes. May I borrow a horse?" "Yes, of course." Kel left and Alanna and George watched as she carried the luggage to the stables.  
"It's a hard path she's chosen."  
"Aye, but you survived your path, she'll survive hers."  
  
Two days later Kel visited from her small cottage for tea with Alanna. "Who ever is pulling strings is sitting mighty high." Alanna raised an eyebrow in inquiry.  
"How so?"  
"I didn't think anything would induce Nariko to leave the Yamani Islands short of a command from the Goddess but she's here and she says that she is going to continue my glaive, staff and hand to hand combat beyond that of a Yamani court lady." Occupied with her thoughts Kel did not see Alanna choke on her tea.  
"Also my other teacher would like to know if I have free access to your library."  
"Of course you do. How many times must I tell you, you're a part of the family now."  
"Did you send the letter off to my parents?"  
"Yes."  
"Ok, well Si-Cham had a list of books for me to look for in your library. See you later." Alanna stared after her ward, glad she had not had tea in her mouth that time since she certainly would have sprayed the room with it. She pinched herself and yelped proving that she had not dreamt that Kel had said that Si-Cham, who'd been dead at least a century, was teaching her. Alanna decided a visit to the cottage was in order so when Kel returned with a stack of books Alanna offered to help carry them.  
  
When they reached the clearing Alanna saw a tent off to one side and looked inquiringly at Kel. "Nariko prefers sleeping outdoors to becoming soft by living inside. Master Si-Cham is living in the cottage's guest room." Kel and Alanna both had their hands full so Kel banged on the door with her elbow, "Si-Cham, can you open the door, my hands are full." The door was opened by a man who looked like Si-Cham, but was much younger than the Si-Cham Alanna remembered.  
When the man saw Alanna he smiled and said, "Ah... there will be some explaining to do now."  
Kel just looked at them, "You know each other?"  
"Long ago Kel , long ago."  
"Oh well then I'll leave you two to catch up. Which book should I start with, Master Si-Cham?"  
"Did you find _Immortal Traditions_?" Seeing the nod he continued, "Good, start with the chapter on spidrens please."  
Once Kel left Alanna found her voice, "Si-Cham, is that really you? I thought you were dead."  
The man smiled, "And so I am but Kel needed a scholar with an open mind and a vast knowledge of history."  
"I was going to ask Myles."  
"Yes, well, since Kel is not at the palace Myles is needed even more."  
"Did the Goddess tell you who else was coming?"  
"Well there is a problem finding heroes who are recent enough not to have lost their memories and taste for life in the Black God's Realm."  
"Why don't you look like you did before Josiane killed you?"  
"Why would I choose to come back in a body that was too old to ride a horse and creaked on cold nights?"  
  
The year passed quickly and George's contacts in the palace reported trouble in the pages' wing. One boy had fallen down a set of stairs in the teachers' wing and had been severely concussed, causing his withdrawal from training. Another boy withdrew from training after a "severe beating from person or persons unknown" since the page would not name his abusers.  
  
Daine and Numair left the palace to spend time at home. Daine brought with her a large war trained gelding which had been severely abused. She was having trouble getting him to trust anyone but her. One day the gelding, whose name was Peachblossom wandered into the clearing where Kel lived. The horse and girl seemed to understand each other and Daine was convinced to leave the horse in Alanna's care when she returned to the palace.  
  
Towards the middle of the summer, Eda Bell sent word to Alanna that Raoul, the King's Own and the pages out on their summer training had been surprised by a group of spidren they'd been hunting. Several pages and members of the Kings Own had been injured and 1 page and 6 soldiers had been killed. The woman who had been taken from the nearby village had been long dead by the time the nest was found and destroyed. Kel occupied her time with glaive, staff and hand to hand combat with Nariko, sword work with Alanna and languages, literature, mathematics (which she showed an aptitude for) and the cultures of the tribes, countries and immortals living in and around Tortall with Si-Cham. 


	2. One Big Adventure And Lots of Training

This chapter roughly covers the time during _Page_. I've created some new characters but most are directly from Tamora Pierce's Tortall. Thank you for reading and all reviews are appreciated.  
  
Over the summer George's contacts in the palace (they're not spies they're contacts) reported that two more girls had applied to become knights. Alanna had messages, similar to the one she had sent Kel, delivered to the girls. The two girls replied quickly and before fall two more noble girls were missing or presumed dead and Kel had two new companions. A new wing was added to the cottage and a stable was built in another clearing a short distance away along with a larger training area. When fall rolled around Nariko came to Kel and told her there was nothing more she could personally teach her so she was returning to the Yamani Islands. She said she would send someone else to train the new girls and drill Kel in her glaive and staff practice. Someone else was also coming to continue her hand-to-hand combat training.  
  
A few days after Nariko left, while Kel and Alanna were practicing some new sword drills a man walked out of the forest. Kel scored on Alanna when the Lady Knight stopped as though frozen and stared.  
The stranger grinned, "Hello kitten, although I guess you're all grown up now and training your own lion cubs."  
When Alanna continued to stare at the man speechless, Kel extended her hand, "Hello sir. I must assume that you are my new hand to hand teacher as I doubt Nariko has had time to arrive home let alone send us a replacement." After a long pause Kel continued, "As Lady Alanna appears to have been struck dumb and cannot introduce us perhaps I may inquire what your name is, sir?"  
"My name is Liam Ironarm and yes, I've been sent to continue your hand to hand combat training as I know Alanna has never been strong in it. Have you been practicing your kicks on the left side, kitten, like I told you to?"  
Alanna finally snapped back to life and sniffed disdainfully, "While I may not be able to best you Ironarm, I give Eda a run for her money every time we bout."  
"Glad to hear it, I was told to tell you that George should teach her what he knows of knife fighting and er... unexpected tactics. And you should ask your friend Raoul to come and visit and perhaps teach some of the boys of your estate how to use a lance incase of a giant, ogre or spidren attack."  
  
The second year went as quickly as the one before. While Raoul was busy until early spring, Kel learned to use a sword and other pole arms while riding Peachblossom. The other girls, whose names were Merina and Keren, were trained by Nariko's replacement, a stone faced young woman named Shima, while Liam trained Kel. George also began to teach the girls his style of fighting. Daine visited Peachblossom and taught the three girls, who she thought to be just middle class girls living in the rented cottage. She taught them archery and gave them great insight into the animals and land around them.  
  
George kept in contact with the palace through Stefan's messenger birds and received word when a servant's niece was raped and her guardian was looking for a good place for the girl to serve where she would be safe. Kel was visiting the manor when the message arrived and suggested that both the man and his niece come work at the cottage. The cottage had come to resemble a bachelor pad since the girls were too busy training to worry about a clean house. Clothes were brought to the manor once a week to be washed and an older woman retired from the Rogue cooked for them. So the man, Gower, and his niece, Lalasa, were invited to Pirate's Swoop and came to work at the cottage. While Lalasa was understandably timid at first, her confidence eventually returned and a close friendship formed between her and the girls. The girls taught Lalasa some basic self-defense and Lalasa, who turned out to be an excellent seamstress, kept up with all the girls' growth spurts and rough treatment of their clothes.  
  
The palace was in an uproar that spring since Prince Roald's fiancé was scheduled to arrive soon and the only experts on Yamani etiquette were still in mourning for their daughter.  
  
When Kel started her menses that year Alanna gave her a charm against pregnancy and smiled secretly when Kel protested she'd never do that with a boy. Alanna also gave her a supply of herbs which could be used to keep a woman's menses from coming but were only to be used in extreme situations when the difference of a few seconds reaction time could mean life or death.  
  
After an exhausting spring pretending to be peasant boys learning to use a lance, all three girls were ready for a change of scenery. When Liam suggested the hill area to the southeast the idea was pursued enthusiastically. They were on their way in a few days and arrived in the area a week later. The party consisted of Kel, Merina, Keren, Alanna, George and their children Thom, Alianne and Alan who were 8, 5 and 5 respectively.  
  
Several days after they arrived the three girls were out hunting for food when they came across a strange sight. A group of boys, who were apparently trying to hunt, were walking noisily through the woods. Curious, Kel and the girls decided to follow them since they assumed that those too stupid to be quite were too stupid to take care of themselves. Unfortunately this turned out to be true. Their noise alerted a bandit group which quickly prepared a surprise for the unsuspecting trainees, for that was who the group of boys were. Their chatter in the fifteen minutes the girls had followed had been quite informative and amusing and the girls had had to suppress their laughter several times. However, when the bandits attacked there was no more laughter. All three girls quickly and silently reached for their weapons. Kel quickly formulated a plan as she looked at the scene in front of her. The boys were trapped against a sheer cliff and their apparent leader a tall older boy had just been hit by one of the bandit's arrows.  
  
"Keren, you have the Gift, right?" Seeing Keren's nod, Kel continued, "And Alanna's been giving you training right?" Keren nodded again. "Can you make it so that the boys can hear my voice but the bandits can't?"  
"I don't know," replied the girl as a frown puckered her forehead, "Let me try." After a pause that seemed to last forever Keren looked up and a deep emerald gift floated over toward the pages, "There. They'll hear you, just speak."  
Taking a deep breath Kel began to give commands in a voice she prayed didn't waver, "Ok, boys, we're here to help. We're going to distract the bandits while you climb up to that cave above you. If anyone is too injured to make it up the cliff, hide them behind the big boulder there at the base." Then Kel motioned for Keren to end her spell. "Ok, girls, on the count of three, two shots each. Try to take out leaders. Ready?" Seeing affirmative nods from both girls Kel began the count, "One, two, three!" Arrows were loosed and in quick succession six men fell. The bandits whirled to face the trees and more arrows came. The chaos that ensued ensured the boys a safe climb. The girls were well hidden in the trees but there were a lot of bandits and the bandits soon figured out the general area the arrows were coming from. Suddenly a volley of arrows rained on the bandits from the cave above. A horn that Kel could only assume was their emergency call also sounded. Whoever the boys were calling turned out to be unnecessary as the two groups decimated the bandits. Using Keren's spell, Kel coordinated the attack. The boys apparently had two or three mages able to create blinding light and other problems for the bandits making them easy targets for the arrows of both groups.  
  
When Neal, the boy directing the attack from the cave, reported that they had no more arrows, Kel nearly panicked. The girls had also nearly run out of ammunition and the remaining bandits were closing in on their position. After the last volley of arrows, Kel was trying to see the remaining bandits when she heard a muffled screech. Turning she saw that Merina had been surprised by one of the bandits. Kel swiftly drew her sword a rushed the bandit. The man grinned an evil smile, made all the worse by his rotten teeth, dropped Merina and prepared to face Kel. However, the man was untrained and Kel disarmed him very quickly and was nearly fatally surprised when the man rushed her with his bare hands. The man died with Kel's sword buried in his stomach. When the other bandits who had been creeping through the brush saw the gruesome death of the man Kel had killed they finally turned tail and ran.  
  
Kel had Keren give the boys the all clear and ask if there were any boys with some healing ability since Merina had a broken arm and various other minor injuries from her encounter with the bandit. The boy Neal was the only one with any healing ability. He did not have enough energy left to completely heal Merina but he set the bone and gave it a good start at the healing process.  
  
Just as Neal finished up with Merina the sound of horses and men's voices was heard. Neal looked up, "It's the Stump, come to rescue us! What a surprise he'll have when he sees... girls." Neal trailed off as he looked around, all three girls had disappeared.  
  
When Kel had heard the horses she knew they had to leave, she wasn't ready to be discovered yet and that's what those horses brought. With the boys' attention on the horses and the one Neal called the Stump, Kel gestured to Merina and Keren and the girls quietly slipped away and returned to their camp. There Alanna scolded them for not calling for reinforcements while completing the healing Neal had begun. Liam quietly beamed at his students with pride.  
  
Back at the cliff Lord Wyldon looked down at Nealan of Queenscove and thought that if he didn't have evidence of the bandits being attacked from two sides and hadn't found some oddly thatched arrows he would have thought the boys had eaten some bad berries and had a mass hallucination. The tale Neal had told, supported by all the other boys was wild to say the least. A voice talking to them out of thin air and a coordinated battle led by the voice which identified itself as Kel. Then, after the battle discovering the voice was really a girl. The boys also talked about the other two girls who hadn't given their names. They told Wyldon, with awe-struck voices, of the body of the dead bandit and the bloody sword they'd seen Kel cleaning. The name Kel tugged a string in Wyldon's memory but he couldn't quite pinpoint it. Wyldon gathered up the boys and took them to the army post so the healers there could deal with the many wounds. When he returned to the palace, Wyldon gave his report to the king who merely looked thoughtful. While Wyldon and the king both tried to remember why the name Kel tugged at their memories, neither was successful and the name just remained a niggling thought in the back of their minds.  
  
Kel and her group remained another week after the battle by the cliff practicing evading determined searchers. When they returned to the Swoop, Kel, Merina and Keren rarely thought of the pages as busy as they were with the new assignment on tactics and strategy that their gruff new teacher named Emry assigned them. However Kel knew she would be able to recognize the pages they had helped if she ever saw them again. The boy Neal had been kind, intelligent and humorous. Word from the palace was that wildly exaggerated stories were circulating Corus. They ranged from a warrior goddess coming down to save the pages to a single girl single handedly holding off 200 rogue Shang and 500 bandits. Needless to say the residents of Pirate's Swoop thought very little of it. George was occupied with the information coming out of Scanra, giving him little time for lessons with the girls.  
  
Only one new girl came to live at Pirate's Swoop cottage that year. Alexi was the unwanted fourth daughter of a minor noble and so her "death" caused few ripples. Alexi had barely settled in a week when Raoul stopped in for his yearly training session. He said he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to come in the spring and so decided to come early. He started Kel, who he thought to be a 16 year old boy to jousting against Alanna since he said he didn't want to kill "Kyle" the first time he jousted and Alanna would do little damage since she wasn't all that great of a jouster. Alanna remarked several days after Kel's first couple of lessons that she was getting much better and had almost slipped past Alanna guard.  
Kel looked at her sourly, "Just trying to return the favors you gift me with."  
Raoul, who'd overheard Kyle's comment, laughed and said, "Don't worry, lad, you'll get better and once all your bruises have healed and you've given a few to Alanna, I'll take you under my wing and give you some new ones."  
  
During the winter Kel took over training the other girls in staff fighting when Shima slipped on a patch of black ice breaking her wrist and concussing herself on the leaky water trough that had caused the treacherous ice patch. Some children and young adults from the castle and the nearby village of Buzzard Rocks also came to train at the cottage. With a lady knight and a reformed thief for their overlords the children thought nothing of four girls living in a cottage training in combat methods most often employed by knights.  
  
The next two years went by quickly with Kel's skill at jousting, sword fighting, hand to hand and glaive combat continuing to improve. Eventually she was able to best Alanna one time out of four with the sword, could stay in the saddle while jousting with Raoul, occasionally landed a blow or two on Liam and regularly trounced Shima with glaive or staff. Daine continued the archery lessons, teaching the girls to shoot many kinds of arrows, when each arrow was appropriate and the range of each type of arrow. She also taught them the secrets of the Immortals from dragons to spidrens to the very rare darkings, everything was covered. Numair was also brought into the secret and he taught them how to combat the Gift when it was used against them and also some basic strategy for combat with the Gift on their side.  
  
There had been four noble arrivals including Gardenia, the second daughter of Duke Gareth of Naxen, the Prime Minister. Her disappearance had not been taken well by her mother, Lady Cythera but the Prime Minister seemed to accept it well, telling those bold enough to ask that he, "trusted Gary and figured she knew what she was doing." Duke Gareth had not been impressed by the king's decision regarding female pages. Along with Gary came Melody of Hawk's Crest, Tolia of Dawnhill and Olivia of Panthnea.  
  
One day about midway through summer Alanna, George, Liam, Si-Cham and Emry called Kel to a meeting at the Swoop.  
"Kel, you've completed the four years of training of a page," began Alanna, "And you are well into studies and combat normally learned by a squire. We would like to know if you would like us to ask Raoul to take you on as his assistant to be trained for a command position someday in the future. I'm sure you're wondering why not a more female friendly unit like the Queen's Riders so I'll admit an ulterior motive. You know that your parents arranged another marriage for Prince Roald after Princess Chisakami died in that earthquake last year. Well, the new princess and her entourage will be accompanying Jon and Thayet on a Royal Progress next year." Seeing Kel's puzzled expression Alanna clarified, "Everybody in the court rides around the country, the paper pushers do censuses and evaluations of roads and such and the king gets to visit the lands of his nobles. Well anyway, I have this dreadful feeling that Raoul would manage to get both feet in his mouth in front of the Yamanis and one of them would try to remove his head and I value his friendship too much to let that happen." Kel grinned, the large commander of the King's Own was not known for thinking before he spoke.  
George spoke up, "We'd have to tell Raoul that you're a girl, although he'll likely introduce you to the Own as Kyle."  
"Pretending to be a boy is not easy," added Alanna, "I also wanted to tell you that my friend Duke Baird has asked me to take on his son as a squire since the boy has a strong healing gift but is determined to be a knight. I'll be leaving to go to the palace next week. I believe that Raoul is there after an ogre problem on the Tusaine border."  
Kel looked around the room at her mentors, "You believe I am ready for this?" All of them nodded.  
"You'll make a great commander one day," said Emry with quiet pride.  
  
Kel took a deep breath, "Ok, then, what are we waiting for? Let's get packing." 


	3. We Arrive At The Palace And The Fun Begi...

The reason this has taken a while is that A. the first two chapters were pre-written, B. its been challenging setting everything up for what I want to eventually do and C. I have summer work, swimming and college visits out the wazoo. The previous two chapters have covered a whole book. This chapter doesn't even cover all the time that elapses in part I of _Squire_. However I decided you'd rather have part than none. And I already know the ending is a little abrupt.  
  
Kel looked at the palace. It was quite impressive, very different from the Emperor's Palace in the Yamani Islands but still impressive. Seeing Kel's non-expression, Alanna, on her horse next to Kel, remarked with studied indifference, "It's a little overwhelming when you first see it." When Kel just nodded absently Alanna continued doggedly, "The inside has often been compared to a rat's warren but I'll help you figure it out." When she realized Kel wasn't going to be stating any opinions one way or the other about the palace Alanna shrugged and moved her horse forward.  
  
The two women entered through one of the many back entrances and took their horses to the stable where they were met by a mischievous grin on an imp that looked to be about seven. "Uncle is in t' back, he said to get 'im when you arrived," and with that the imp scampered off leaving Alanna and Kel gaping at each other with amusement. Shortly a man slightly older than Alanna came around a corner followed by the imp.  
"Stefan," greeted Alanna, "I thought the boy had the look of you. Is he your sister's son?"  
"Yep. Why don't you take the horses, brush'em and feed'em, Aron."  
As she handed over her reins Kel warned, "He bites."  
"Don't worry, the lad's got a gift with the horses jus' like me." After Aron left Stefan looked at the two women, "Well George 'as kept me informed since I'm 'is main messenger here. So if you're ever in a fix, either of you, you can count on me."  
"Thanks Stefan, you've always been a valuable and loyal friend. We better get up to the palace though. Jon's probably in snit since the Congress has been in session for quite some time. Oh well, what else is new. Thanks again Stefan." With that Alanna led Kel up to the palace.  
  
Jon looked out the window of the library he'd hidden himself in and saw a familiar shock of red hair heading up the stable. Just like Alanna to sneak in the backdoor. Jon sighed, at least Alanna had shown up. It had been becoming more and more awkward to explain to foreigners why his Champion was not at court and why he couldn't simply command her to be there. Jon sighed and turned his thoughts to other matters. Another girl had applied to train as a page. He had sent back the same reply he'd sent to the other seven girls. Jonathon frowned, it seemed odd that all seven girls had either disappeared or died under mysterious circumstances. Hopefully they were going to Shang or had found a temple that would train them as warriors.  
  
The morning after arriving Kel woke early as was her habit. Before she went to the practice courts though she wanted to make a special stop. She had asked a servant last night directions to the Chamber of Ordeal. Kel knew from stories her brothers had told her that it was not uncommon for squires to come and test themselves by touching the door. Kel was relieved to find the chapel empty. She walked up to the door, took a deep breath and placed her palm on the iron door.  
  
_Kel was old and gray now. She'd spent the last 45 years of her life teaching other girls how to become warriors while she remained behind. No one wanted a problem like the dead Mindelan girl to deal with. She'd been lucky that Alanna and George had left her the small plot of land that her training school was on in their will. Most of her family was still not speaking to her because of the faked death. Her parents had been killed in a pirate raid while on a diplomatic mission in the Yamani Islands. Here only contact now was her niece who occasionally wrote to her with the family news. Her joints creaked, she was getting to old to teach combat anymore. What had she accomplished with her life? Very little. The girls she trained either returned to their families and got married or moved to another land where women warriors were better accepted. She'd never left the Swoop's land since that long ago trip to Corus which had resulted in a disaster.  
_  
Kel jerked her hand away from the door. "That won't happen," she told the door with a dry mouth, "I'll do things with my life. I'll make a difference." Still, she was plagued with doubts. Was it possible for the Chamber to tell the future? She'd never heard of this story told of the Chamber but who would tell since knights were forbidden to speak of what went on in the Chamber. Thinking that the best way to take her mind off her vision was physical exercise, Kel headed out to the practice courts.  
  
She was dressed in a comfortable pair of breeches and a shirt that was loose but not flowing. She had tied back her hair, which had recently been cut short, and wore one of her tightest breast bands. Kel started with her glaive and began to warm up. She took herself through the full range of exercises she could do alone. By the time she was finishing the glaive, there were people in only one or two other courts. Kel moved onto hand-to-hand exercises, then sword. When she finished with the sword Kel decided she'd see if Peachblossom was up to some jousting after his long ride the day before. She was so preoccupied with thoughts of Peachblossom and jousting and _not_ thinking about her vision that Kel failed to notice the surreptious looks she'd attracted or the amazed looks she received when the onlookers got a good look at glaive.  
  
Buriram Tourakom, commander of the Queen's Riders, looked at her Queen and said, "I haven't seen anyone that all around good in a long time. You don't think he's Shang do you?" The two women had been having their usual morning work out when they noticed the boy in the far court.  
Thayet shook her head, "I doubt it. He would have started with the hand-to-hand if he were. Where do you suppose he's going now?"  
"Looks like the stables to me. Why don't we finish up and then we can ask around and be nosy." Similar conversations were occurring all over the courts. Knights, squires and soldiers, called back to Corus during the Congress, were all remarking on the talent of the unknown boy who'd just left the practice courts. One man, a close companion of Lord Raoul and a member of the King's Own who had traveled with Raoul several times to train the young men of Pirates Swoop, recognized the boy. The man left the courts shortly after Kyle to tell his commander that he might be interested in watching some weapons practice. After some convincing Lord Raoul followed Domitan of Masbolle out to the jousting field.  
  
Peachblossom had been eager for some jousting so Kel saddled him up and got out several willow rings despite the brisk wind, she was in the mood for a challenge. Her morning workout had been somewhat unsatisfactory since she had no one to bout with. Alanna would have exercised with her if she'd been invited but Kel knew that Alanna enjoyed sleeping in when she could since she was often called out of bed in the middle of the night or early morning to deal with emergencies. Setting up the ring target Kel noticed two men at the far end of the field but ignored them. Riding Peachblossom back to the starting point Kel focused on the ring then told Peachblossom to "Trot." Everything felt perfect, she had the rhythm of the ring, which was swinging in the wind, Peachblossom was at the perfect speed and her lance was a just the right angle. Kel nailed the target, then flicked the ring off her lance. She'd forgotten she wasn't at home where Melody had several adopted dogs that loved chasing the rings. Smiling at herself Kel dismounted, retrieved the ring and reset the target. Again she nailed the target and smiled when she remembered not to flick the ring.  
  
When Kel had caught the ring three times in a row, her concentration was broken by a man's voice saying, "Well, Kyle, I see you've been practicing." Turning, Kel saw Lord Raoul standing by the fence.  
"Hello, sir. Peachblossom likes to joust so we have a lot of practice."  
"Practice is the difference between winning and becoming worm food, Kyle. I've heard reports of your morning workout." Seeing Kyle's amazed look Raoul grinned, "This place thrives on gossip. If people stopped talking around here, the walls would fall in. There'd be no wind to hold them up. Sounds like Alanna has been hiding your talents from me. I don't suppose you're interested in a position in the King's Own are you?"  
Kel looked at Lord Raoul solemnly, "Actually, sir, that was the reason I accompanied Alanna to court but there is something we need to tell you before you offer me a position."  
  
Kyle looked so serious as he led Raoul back to his chambers, which adjoined Alanna's that for a moment Raoul was taken aback. What could possibly be so terrible? Kyle rapped on the door between the two rooms, announced, "Alanna, Raoul is here," and walked in. Raoul followed cautiously.  
Alanna had obviously been over at the desk but when she saw Raoul she smiled, "I was just writing a note to ask you to come visit."  
"I wasn't aware you were in the capital until this morning. Kyle has quite impressed the palace with his fighting skills." Alanna looked at Kyle sharply. "Oh don't worry he wasn't showing off," Raoul hurried to add, "Just doing his morning exercises but he drew quite a bit of attention. I offered him a position in the King's Own but he said there was something you needed to speak with me about first." Alanna looked at Kyle again, who gave her a bland stare back. "Ok, what's the big secret?" said Raoul suspiciously.  
Alanna cleared her throat, "Uh... well, you know about the probationary year that Jon is requiring of female pages."  
Raoul nodded, "Yes. Its strange that none of them have accepted and even odder that all of the ones who apply either disappear or die after sending a rejection letter." Seeing Alanna's guilty face Raoul looked at her sharply, "You wouldn't have anything to do with that now would you?"  
"Well actually that's what we need to talk to you about, you see Kyle is not who you think he is. He is a she."  
Raoul's jaw dropped, "He's a WHAT?!"  
  
Kel braced herself. Now that Lord Raoul knew how would he react? Would he never want to see her again? Would he hate her for lying to him? Calm down Kel, she told herself. He doesn't hate Alanna and she was one of his best friends and pretended to be a boy for eight years.  
Lord Raoul seemed to recover himself and glared at Alanna, "I suppose this is another one of your I'm-sorry-I-couldn't-tell-you-Raoul tricks?"  
Alanna looked sheepish then defiant, "Yeah. I've been training any girls who didn't like the probationary year."  
"And I suppose that all the other boys I trained on your estate were girls also," demanded Raoul.  
"Well, not quite all of them," said Alanna.  
At this Raoul's face took on a pained expression, "You mean to tell me that I've been cursing, cuffing and dumping the daughters of my noble peers in the mud."  
Alanna had started to laugh so Kel answered, "Yes sir. But don't feel guilty. Your love taps and language were nothing compared to some of our other teachers. None of us are delicate flowers, well except Gary. We all knew what we were doing when we decided to train with Alanna."  
Raoul's face looked even more shocked, "Do you mean I've been training Gary's daughter these past two years and didn't even know it?!"  
"Don't feel bad Raoul, it's not like Cythera ever let her leave Naxen anyway, she left when she was ten for Mithros sake. It's not like you were in frequent contact with her," said Alanna.  
Kel's face became more mask like as she asked, "Are you still interested in offering me a position, sir?"  
Raoul looked stunned, "Of course I am. You being a girl just makes it a little more complicated, it doesn't change your ability with weapons."  
  
Kel allowed a slight smile to slip past her mask, "Thank you, sir."  
"Come by the stables tomorrow, I'll want to get you a second horse and introduce you to some of the Own you haven't met yet. Mithros, I don't even know your real name."  
This time Kel truly smiled, "It's Kel sir. Keladry of Mindelan."  
"Mindelan... isn't that the diplomats that... You're supposed to be dead!"  
"No, sir. I've managed to survive the past four years although sometimes I thought I was dead."  
"Who else knows about you?"  
"About being a girl or being Keladry of Mindelan?"  
"Both," barked out Raoul.  
"Hmm... well you, Alanna, George, Thom and the twins, the other girls, my trainers, and I think Stefan in the stables too. Daine and Numair know I'm a girl, I don't know how much else they've guessed though. And my parents know I'm alive, although my brothers and sisters don't."  
"Oh, well as long as your parents know I don't feel so bad. They did a great job pretending to mourn you."  
"So I heard, sir."  
"Enough with the sir-ing, I can only take so much. My name is Raoul."  
  
The next morning Kel woke early again. She could hear birds cheeping outside. Opening her window she saw a large flock of sparrows. They seemed friendly so she found some left over bread in her travel packs, crumbled it up and put it on her windowsill. Then she saw one of the sparrows land on the sill of an opened window on the opposite side of the courtyard and change into the shape of a young woman. Kel gulped, she'd never actually seen Daine change before. However, she now knew where her friends lived in the palace. Kel left her room and went to go visit Daine and Numair. She was very proud of herself when she found the door with her friends' names on it after taking only one wrong turn. After knocking quietly on the door, Kel waited anxiously for Daine or Numair to answer, hoping she'd hadn't come at a bad time. When Daine answered the door she put Kel's mind at ease immediately when she said, "Wonderful, a fourth for breakfast."  
  
Once inside Kel saw two foreign looking women sitting at Daine's table with no sign of Numair. "Kel, allow me to introduce Onua Chamtong, the horsemistress to the Queen's Riders, and Buriram Tourakom, commander of the Queen's Riders, both of whom are dear friends of mine. Onua and Buri, another of my friends, Kel." Both women scrutinized Kel carefully while Kel was careful to keep her Yamani mask in place.  
"You're the one who was in the practice courts yesterday morning," said the woman introduced as the Commander of the Queen's Riders.  
Kel stilled and tried not to blush, she thought she'd succeeded. "Yes, ma'am."  
"Where did you train?"  
"Ah... well..."  
"Or how about, who trained you?"  
"Many people, ma'am."  
"Enough ma'ams. Excessive respect drives me crazy. Would you like to train with me, Onua and another of our friends this morning?" Kel looked at the woman carefully, she was serious.  
"Certainly, ma'... er... yes, thank you. My companion is not yet awake as she rarely gets to sleep in and likes to take advantage of any opportunity she has. I would be honored to train with you this morning."  
  
At breakfast Kel told Daine that she had seen her flying with the sparrows and was curious about the flock. Daine offered to introduce them to her later. Kel also met a bowlegged white dog whose name was Jump. He was quite battered and Daine said that he'd narrowly missed becoming sausage meat on several occasions. She also told Kel that the dog tended to hang around the pages and had made friends with the training master, Lord Wyldon, but always came back. However, the dog now seemed quite attached to Kel. He followed Kel, Onua and Buri out to the practice courts. There, Kel met the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. Kel's brain was quite keen so when the woman was introduced merely as Thayet she stared at her.  
"Thayet, as in Her Majesty Queen Thayet?"  
Buri laughed, "See, Thayet, even those commoners outside the city recognize you." Kel did not correct Buri's assumption. She was dressed plainly and her hair was cut short, it was a logical assumption that she was a commoner serving one of the nobles in the palace. When Thayet and Buri paired off Buri told her friend quietly, "Thayet, Kel is the person we saw yesterday in the practice courts."  
  
After a brisk workout, which quickly disabused Kel of the idea that a queen was to be treated delicately, Kel left the three women to joust with Peachblossom, followed by Jump, the dog. Jump, she discovered, had a passion for chasing willow rings which she was quite happy to satisfy. After a short practice session she went to the stable where the horses of the King's Own were kept with her stocky four-legged shadow still following. There she met Raoul. 


	4. Eavesdropping and Lots of Animal Friends

I'm being a bad person and not working on my book report to write this. Hopefully the new formatting helps. As always reviews are appreciated (I didn't realize that I was not accepting anonymous reviews, so that is now corrected). Now on with the story.

In the stable Kel saw Raoul he was standing by some stalls talking to a young man Kel recognized from the spring training sessions. Neither man heard Kel or Jump as they walked in.

"A girl?" said the man Kel remembered as Dom, a cute flirtatious captain who was Raoul's righthand man. Dom continued in a somewhat strangled voice, "And you're going to let her join the King's Own?"

"Well not exactly," Kel caught her breath. She couldn't believe it. He'd changed his mind. What was she going to do now? "It's going to be more like a knight squire relationship. She wanted to be a knight." Kel started breathing again.

"What do you need a squire for? You've got Lerant to serve you."

"Don't you remember what you saw yesterday morning? Well take that incredible skill and mix it with a sharp mind, fast reflexes and leadership. What do you get?"

Dom reluctantly nodded, "A whole heck of a lot of potential. But why can't she go into the Riders? Once everyone finds out he's a she, they're going to have you in bed with her in a heartbeat."

Raoul smiled at Dom, "I thought the current one was that I like men." Dom just scowled at his commander. Realizing that continuing to eavesdrop could get her in trouble Kel walked back out of the stable quietly and then re-entered loudly.

"Jump, don't you have anything better to do than follow me around?"

"Ah, Kel, there you are."

"Hello, sir. I did not think you were expecting me early."

"No, no. Come here, this is Captain Dom, the longest lasting captain of First Company since Flyndan was killed in a spidren raid several years back."

Dom grinned at Kel, "That's because Himself here drove them all batty within weeks." Extending his hand Dom said, "It's a pleasure and quite a surprise, I must say, to meet you like this. Now that I know, I don't know how I missed it all along."

"Just think how I feel," said Raoul, "Tricked twice in the same lifetime."

"The best disguise is other people's expectations, sir," said Kel.

"Too true. Anyway, I also want you to inspect this sweet little mare. Stefan must have been looking before you came to Corus to have this beauty in here early this morning." Seeing Kel's surprise he added, "If you're to be with the King's Own you'll need more than one horse. We travel hard and often. Keep your gelding for battle but you need another horse to spell him." Kel turned and looked at the mare. The mare probably wouldn't be considered small by anyone but someone of Raoul's height and breadth but she was compact. Kel did a thorough inspection; the mare was well muscled, sweetly tempered and appeared in fine health.

"I'll trust that Stefan would not give me a horse whose gait was unbearable so I think milord that she is quite perfect, if Peachblossom will accept her."

"Yes I remembered the temperment of your steed…"

"Me too," added Dom fervently. Dom had been one of Peachblossom's unlucky victims.

"And asked Stefan if he thought they would get along. He said they should do fairly well. This stall is for your other horsie. I see that you have a dog, we'll get you a carrier. If I recall correctly, that is the dog that has been hanging out around the pages for the last several years. What is he doing with you?"

"We ah… met at Daine's this morning and he hasn't left my side since."

"Hmm… well he looks like he'd know his way around a battlefield, just don't let him get in the way."

"No sir."

"Well now, on to some more exciting stuff. What do you have in the way of weapons and supplies?"

"I have quite a decent sword, an excellent dagger and a long bow but no real armor."

"What about a pole arm, like a spear or halberd?"

"Well, I have something similar. I've been training with it since I was very small. It's called a glaive."

"Hmm… well why don't you bring all your weapons to our training area in about one bell. I have a few things I need to do."

"Yes, sir."

As Kel and Jump entered her room she heard voices raised in argument in the adjoining room. For the second time that day she was eavesdropping without even trying.

"You're being ridiculous, Jon," said a voice Kel recognized as the strident tones of her quick tempered mistress, "Just admit you were wrong and tell Wyldon that if he doesn't like it to retire." A male voice answered but since he wasn't shouting Kel couldn't understand him. Then Alanna voice rose again.

"For Mithros sake, didn't I make it through training just fine? You didn't even suspect anything until the Ysandir disappeared my clothes! None of the teachers had to take special time away with me to make up for me being a girl. I figured it out on my own." Again an agitated male voice answered her but in tones too low for Kel to understand. By this time Kel had added a few things together. The only "Jon" with the power to tell the Page Training Master to retire and the only one who had been with Alanna in the Black City when she faced the Ysandir was King Jonathon IV of Conte. Kel rolled her eyes; Alanna was arguing with the ruler of the realm. She was crazy. It was also obvious that they were discussing the probationary year the king was still requiring for any females.

"The only reason I've come to Corus is because I have some business to take care of. If you're not interested in changing your mind I see no reason to change mine. I'll be leaving Corus as soon as all my business has been completed and if you dare try to royal command me you will regret it." Before the king could reply there was a loud metallic clang. Because she'd been so busy listening to Alanna and the king Kel had knocked her practice glaive off the rack as she picked up her live glaive.

"Who's there?" snapped out an authoritative voice that made Kel jump and Jump whine. Kel could only assume it was the king's voice. Alanna opened the door and saw Kel.

"Nothing to worry about Jon, its just Kyle. Come in here Kyle, I'd like you to meet somebody." Kel gulped but kept her face impassive. Coming into Alanna's room she came face to face with a man she supposed most women would call handsome. He had clear blue eyes, coal black hair and the refined features one would expect of a noble.

"Jon this is Kyle. Kyle, this is His Majesty King Jonathon of Conte, who I'd like very much to kick over a mountain range at the moment."

Ignoring Alanna comment Jon put out his hand for Kel to shake, "Ah, so this is the young man I've heard so much about." When there was no response to his comment Jon said, "You are the one who was practicing yesterday morning in the practice courts before dawn are you not?"

"I am, Your Majesty." Kel did not extend her hand but instead performed a low Yamani style bow. Recognizing that Kel was in full-fledged Yamani mode Alanna knew that Kel was not happy with the king. Then she smiled inwardly and added since Kel was holding a live glaive in her hand this could be a dangerous situation. The king looked taken aback not only at the curt reply but also the impassive face and Yamani bow.

"Were you going somewhere Kyle?" asked Alanna ending the awkward silence.

"Yes, I am to meet Sir Raoul in the King's Own training area in less than a bell with my weapons and Peachblossom, ma'am. Sir Raoul said that he would evaluate my training and provide me with any weapons or armor I need."

"Good. But I have a gift for you before you accept too many things from Raoul."

Feeling ignored Jon cleared his throat, "Will Kyle be joining the King's Own then?"

"No, sire."

Looking startled Alanna said, "What? I thought he'd agreed?" The king just looked puzzled.

"Sir Raoul said that he will be treating me like a squire," said Kel, calmly addressing Alanna.

"Oh, well that's just what we wanted then."

"I'm sorry but I am still a bit confused," interjected Jon, "This boy is not a squire despite the tales of his prowess with weapons and since when does Raoul take even non-squires to train?" Kel just blinked at the king. Alanna started to laugh.

"Apparently since now." Seeing the king's dubious look Alanna said to Kel, "I know you're a little pressed for time, Kyle, so I won't keep you. However, since I know Jon is dying of curiosity as to what your glaive is perhaps you could give a brief demonstration." Kel nodded. She looked around Alanna's room.

"Perhaps my room would be a better place since there is less… stuff." Alanna agreed so she and Jon followed Kel back into her own room. Jon looked around assessing the weapons and other possessions in the room, even noting the little porcelain cats waving from the mantle. Then his entire attention was taken up watching the quickly spinning glaive as the young man performed a complicated series of exercises with the long weapon which gleamed in the sunlight. Jon had to admit the boy took good care of his weapons, every weapon in the room was clean and carefully racked. When the whirling stopped the boy gravely offered the glaive to Jon who nearly dropped because of its unexpected weight.

"Holy Mithros. I'd hate to see that thing matched against a sword."

"That will hopefully not happen in the near future Your Majesty, as this is a Yamani weapon," said Kel in a carefully diffident voice.

"Yes well…" Jon stopped to yelp as he sliced his finger nearly to the bone on the sharp head of the glaive. Kel hurriedly took the weapon back and Alanna quickly grabbed the king's hand and purple magic briefly flared as she healed the finger.

"You'd think after years of training as a knight you'd know not to touch an unknown blade, Jon. I think we've pestered Kyle for quite long enough. Why don't we go back to my room and leave Kyle to gather his things?" After Jon and Alanna left her room and closed the door behind them Kel quietly gathered her glaive, sword, dagger and bow and left the room followed by her faithful shadow.

In the other room Jon said quietly, "Now that is one boy I would not have liked to train with. Can you imagine a girl trying to compete against that?" He didn't understand why Alanna nearly choked to death laughing.

Kel cursed. She must have taken the wrong staircase and made a wrong turn somewhere. She had no idea where she was and she was going to be late meeting Raoul. Seeing a door propped open at the end of the hallway with trees outside it she headed towards it, hoping she was going in somewhat the right direction. No such luck. She'd walked into a courtyard. Sighing Kel looked around for another exit since she didn't think the hallway she'd just come out of was leading anywhere she wanted to go. She spotted a cat at the far end of the courtyard stalking silently through the grass toward a tree. Wondering what it was stalking Kel wandered toward it and saw a bird chick cowering on the ground; too frightened to even cheep for help. It looked barely a week old, nowhere near ready to leave the nest. Remembering the sparrows she'd seen that morning Kel assumed the chick had fallen out of its nest in the tree and somehow landed safely if slightly stunned. Hurrying over she shooed the cat away and Jump chased it out of the courtyard. Suddenly a flock of sparrows came swirling back to the tree. The mother of the chick obviously discovered it missing and came winging down, however it was obviously stumped as to how to get it back in the nest.

Unsure if she should risk interfering since she knew that most birds wouldn't accept a chick that smelled of human Kel just stood there quietly. Then one of the sparrows started flying around her head cheeping. When Kel started to back up it pecked the back of her head so she moved forward toward the chick. The sparrow started to fly from Kel to the chick and back. Kel got shivers down her spine. She'd heard that animals at the palace were more intelligent now that Daine was here. But was the sparrow actually trying to ask her to help move the baby back to the nest? The sparrow's cheeping became more insistent. The rest of the flock was perched on the branches of the tree watching her with intent little black eyes some of them even seemed to be looking suspiciously at Jump who had returned to sit at Kel's feet.

Moving slowly Kel put down her glaive and bow then leaned down to pick up the chick. None of the birds attacked her. When the chick was in her hand the bossy sparrow flew to a nest that Kel assumed was the chick's home. Moving the leaves she placed the chick gently back in the nest alongside two other chicks.

"How did you get out, little one? Curious to explore already?" Turning to face the rest of flock Kel said, "I don't suppose any of you know how to get to the King's Own training area, huh?"

"I would highly doubt it, but I do," came a wry voice from behind her. Kel turned quickly to face a tall boy with dark hair and sharp green eyes. He looked vaguely familiar. "If you'd like I can escort you there." Kel nodded.

"I've only been here for two days or two and half and I've managed to get lost just about every time I leave my room," she said on a sigh. Eyeing the boy she decided he must be a squire, though he looked a little old. Extending her hand she added, "My name is Kyle."

"And I'm Neal," said the boy as he took Kel's hand, "And don't worry, it can take months to figure it out completely."

"So Alanna told me. Do you know the fastest route to the King's Own training area? I'm almost late for a meeting."

"Sure, follow me. My cousin is in the King's Own. He recently got promoted to captain, though he said it was only because no one else wanted to deal with Raoul, particularly if dealing with Raoul required dealing with the king, the Lioness, and going to millions of dull parties. My cousin actually likes the parties and isn't too afraid of the Lioness or the king." As the boy chattered on he led Kel quickly through the palace and outside. Kel had almost decided that she must know his cousin and that was why he looked familiar until the Neal said, "Of course my father thought I'd quit trying to be a page after nearly getting killed by bandits three years ago but I didn't die." Seeing Kel's sharp look Neal continued, "We were rescued by three very talented girls." Mistaking Kel's surprise as doubt he immediately went on the defensive, "I'm telling the truth. There was this one girl who took command when we all panicked. And these other two girls who helped her, at least one of them had the Gift."

"I believe you," said Kel quietly stopping Neal mid tirade. Now she knew why he was so familiar looking.

"Oh. Well anyway since my dad was so worried about me and he wants me to get some more training with healing he's asked his friend, the Lioness, to be my knight master." Again Kel looked at Neal sharply. So this was Duke Baird's son that Alanna was going to train. It was going to be interesting when he and Alanna met and when he met all the girls back at the Swoop, if he met the girls at the Swoop. She wondered who his cousin in the Own was.

Stopping in front of a low building Neal announced, "Here we are."

"Thank you."

"No problem, I don't have to meet my father and the Lioness til noon. I've still got a good two bells. It's strange having all this free time now that I'm a squire." Pointing at the dog that had followed them from the palace Neal asked, "Isn't that the dog that hangs around the pages? He's real cozy with Lord Wyldon, probably cause he knows dogs are one of the Stump's only weaknesses." Seeing Kel's curious look Neal smiled, "I call him the Stump cause he's so stiff. Hey, if you see Captain Domitan of Masbolle, tell him Neal says hi."

Kel nodded then said with a smile, "I'll see you later," and walked into the building.

As Kyle walked away Neal shook his head. Kyle's face was one he was sure he'd seen before. He just couldn't remember where. He'd gotten a queer look on his face when Neal had mentioned Lord Wyldon. And that smirk when he said good-bye was a little odd too. Oh, well. Neal walked away whistling.

Kel walked through the building which seemed fairly empty and right into an outdoor training arena, where it seemed the whole of Third Company waited with Raoul.

"I'm sorry sir, I got lost and did not have time to stop in the stable and bring Peachblossom over."

Raoul just shrugged then grinned, "No big deal, Kel. I'll just have one of these lazy bones run over and ask Stefan to bring your friendly horsie over since I doubt not that the brute would try to maul anyone else." Kel smiled back, it was hard not to.

Seeing Dom behind Raoul she said, "Your cousin, Neal, sends his greetings." Dom looked surprised.

"Meathead?" When Kel just quirked her head at him he grinned, "That's what I call him. For all his supposed intelligence, he has no common sense at all and it frequently gets him in trouble. He also loves to fall in love with impossible women. I suppose he told you his whole life story on your way over here. Well you should have seen him three years ago going on and on about this girl who supposedly rescued him from ban…" Seeing Kel's blush, "Mithros, that was you wasn't it?"

"That was her what?" asked Raoul.

Dom sputtered, "Rescued the pages… bandits… three years ago."

Kel interrupted Dom, "Milord, do you think it wise to tell all of First Company that I am a girl. Aren't you worried about trouble?"

"Wait a minute. You were the one who led the rescue? I've read the reports on that. How many other people did you have with you?"

"Just me and two other girls."

"And you held off all those bandits?"

"The pages helped, we just gave them a chance to get to safety so they could concentrate on their offense."

"That's not what Neal said," said Dom, "You created and carried through a detailed and organized plan. You killed at least one man in close combat. You managed to keep all the pages calm and get them to follow the directions of a disembodied voice. How did you do that by the way?"

"One of my friends has the Gift."

"I'd say that's a bit more than just helping the pages get to safety."

"Hmmm," said Raoul thoughtfully then, "Well as to your question Kel, I trust everyone here. If I ask them not to they wouldn't even tell their mothers your gender." After that Raoul introduced Kel to all the men. Most of them were friendly and respectful; they remembered the skill of Kyle from practices at the Swoop. Others like the boy Lerant who seemed to be a standard bearer were a bit more dubious. That is until they saw her sparring both with weapons and without. Jump sat tied to the side of arena, after he had tried to attack Kel's first partner, as she proved beyond a doubt that she was fully qualified to train with the King's Own.

After an intense workout that left Kel sweaty and panting Raoul grinned and pounded her on the back, nearly knocking her over, "Well I think you might be worth training, youngster. How about I send you off with Qasim here to get you stocked up on armor?"

"Ah, sir… Alanna said she had a gift to give me before I accepted anything from you."

"Hmm well then I'll send Qasim with you to your room to see what Alanna has for you. You should also probably move to rooms near mine. I've decided that I'm going to treat you exactly like a squire. You'll wear my colors and all that fun stuff and I get to beat you into the dust on a regular basis."

Kel gave Raoul a crooked smile, "Sounds like fun, sir." Roaul laughed and sent the two of them off.

Kel, Qasim and Jump arrived in her room just as the meeting between Alanna, Duke Baird and Neal was breaking up. Alanna was saying something about finding a room for Neal nearby when Kel knocked on the adjoining door. Entering she smiled at Neal's surprise.

"I told you I'd see you later." Then Kel address Alanna, "Raoul would like me to move into rooms near his just like a real squire so Neal can have my room once I'm packed."

"Well, that solves that problem," said Alanna briskly. "Who is that behind you?"

"This is Qasim…"

"Corporal Qasim ibn Zirhud, Burning-Brightly One," said Qasim with a bow.

"Er, well he's here to help me move and decide what additional equipment I need." Kel had known sort of in an abstract way that the Bazhir revered the Burning-Brightly One and the Blue-Eyed One who had rid them of the Ysandir but she had never been with Alanna when a Bazhir was introduced to her. It was an uncomfortable feeling, being in the room with a living legend.

Duke Baird and Neal took their leave a few moments later after Alanna had arranged for Neal to meet her on the practice courts later that afternoon. Then she removed several packages of varying sizes from her wardrobe.

"These are from me and George, your parents and all your teachers." Kell opened the packages. Inside the packages was light armor that shined a bright silver, gloves, a helmet as well as books on the history of fighting and war, a tiny waving cat from Alianne, a jar of green bruise balm that Alanna told her was packed with both herbs and magic.

"There is also a new saddle and armor for Peachblossom in the stable, Stefan has been keeping it for us. You have a new dagger from last Midwinter and your sword will do you for now, you'll probably need a new one by the time you're finished growing," said Alanna with a teary gleam in her eye. Kel had been like another daughter for the last four years.

"Good luck, I'll miss you. Although I won't miss being dumped on my behind every time I joust with you," said Alanna with a watery smile. Kel hugged Alanna briefly.

"Thank you for everything. I'll miss you too." Then Kel turned to Qasim, "Let's get packing, good thing I didn't unpack too much since we arrived only two days ago." Later after she had moved her stuff Qasim took her back to the Own's equipment room to pick up things like a dog carrier for Jump who seemed determined to follow Kel everywhere.

The evening Kel put out a dish of dried bread crumbs and fruit from her saddle bags on her windowsill. Not long after that, it was discovered by the sparrows. Kel wasn't sure if it was the same flock but the female who seemed to lead the group had the same brown marking on her head. Kel dubbed her Crown. Kel hoped that the bread and fruit was a help. She knew it was sometimes difficult for birds to keep up with the demands of their numerous chicks. When she was getting ready to close the shutters she heard a quiet knock on her door. It was Daine.

"The sparrows wanted me to thank you. From what I gathered you saved one of their chicks from a cat this afternoon. The head female wants me to tell you that they will do whatever they can to help you in the future. I told her that you wouldn't be in the palace much so she has picked out several birds that will go with on your travels to help where ever they can." Kel gapped at Daine as about a dozen sparrows landed on her bed near to Jump who they appeared to feel comfortable with.

"Do they have names?"

Daine laughed, "Not ones we can pronounce, just give them a name they know means them."

"They're that smart?"

Daine frowned thoughtfully, "I can't help that my magic leaks this way. Numair says I have the best control I'm ever going to have. Sometimes it's a good thing and sometimes its just worrisome."

Kel nodded, "I'll be grateful for any help they can give me but how will I communicate with them?"

"They're pretty good at figuring out human speech and I imagine they won't have too much difficulty getting you to understand. They're all young, less than 3 summers." Kel thanked Daine and the sparrows left her room save for the dozen who would be staying with her. Telling Jump and the sparrows to stay in her room Kel left quietly. She'd had dinner with Raoul who said he wouldn't be back until late. Kel went down to the stable where Peachblossom was now stabled next to Hoshi on his other side was an empty stall. Obviously Stefan had not wanted to push his luck with the gelding. Kel had been down earlier to admire the new saddle and armor but this was private. Just between her horse and her.

Entering the stall Kel said, "Peachblossom, can we talk?" The horse lipped at Kel's shirt. Rubbing Peachblossom's scarred hide Kel continued, "Peachblossom, you know that if I'm going to train with the King's Own we're going to have to deal with other horses. If you cause a lot of fights they might make me leave you here." The gelding turned his head so he could fix Kel with a stare, 'You know I don't want to do that but it would be simpler if you could just get along with the other horses. You don't have to like them, just don't attack them and cause trouble." Peachblossom snorted and rolled his eyes. "Well just think about it, please." Then Kel returned to her room.

Well not a whole lot happened in this chapter, we're not even through Chapter 2 of Squire. But that's ok. I have to get Kel to meet a lot of people and animals she could have only met at the palace that will be important later in the story and that's taking quite a bit of time. I wanted to get this update in before I left on vacation so here it is.

One reviewer asked how Liam was still alive. He's not. Liam, Si-Cham and Emry (Neal's grandfather the famous general) are all dead. The Mother Goddess pulled a few strings and the Black God let her because he's just as concerned about fate as the Mother Goddess. Since Kel isn't training as a knight the Gods are a little worried about what's going to happen. Now that Kel doesn't need their training anymore those three teachers will probably go back to the Black God's Realm, but not before Alanna has time to get new teachers.

Hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Reviews as always are appreciated. Thank you to everyone who has already reviewed. Hopefully you'll see that I'm trying to be better about paragraphs and such.

FyreDragon


	5. Bandits, Mud and a New Responsiblity

This is they edited version. I found several typos and grammatical errors, most stemming from me going back and changing a sentence but forgeting to change verb tenses. Hope you enjoy and keep reviewing I enjoy them and they remind me that I need to write more even when I feel like the story is stuck.

FyreDragon

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Before dawn the next morning Kel was woken by a fierce pounding on her door. Jumping out of bed she ran to the door and pulled it open, nearly getting herself knocked in the face by Qasim.

"There's been a raid on Haresfield village in the Royal Forest. We leave as soon as possible. Pack your bag and go ready your mounts. I will bring your gear to the stables."

"But m'lord's gear and mounts, that's my job."

"Not right now, another time. Just go," pausing Qasim added, "It will be bad, the messengers report that it's a bloody mess. You'd best prepare yourself best you can." Then Qasim was gone and Kel was left standing in her doorway with Jump looking up at her quizzically. Then she picked up the bag Qasim had dropped by her feet and threw 3 changes of clothes, some cloths for her monthlies, and the herbs Alanna had given her into it. She quickly got dressed and rushed down to the stables to tack up both Peachblossom and Hoshi.

After giving her pack to the supplies officer Kel walked Peachblossom and Hoshi out to the area in front of the stables where everyone was gathering, which was where Dom found her.

"I figured since this was your first time being called away in the middle of the night you wouldn't even think to stop and get breakfast," with that he handed her several hot meat rolls and rode away to attend to his duties as captain. Kel ate them gratefully. She noticed that many of the Own were wearing burnoses. Digging in her pack she found the one Qasim had supplied her with that afternoon. Hopefully he would teach her how to fold it correctly sometime in the near future but for now she decided to just fasten it like a cloak at her throat.

Soon Raoul, followed by Dom and two men who were likely the messengers from Haresfield came out to the courtyard. Stablehands led mounts to the four men. Raoul rode over to speak to Kel.

"Ready for your first ride with Hoshi?" Kel nodded. "Well mount up then. Normally remounts are back with the supply train but since your remount has such a pleasant personality we're making an exception. You'll be a neck length behind and to my left." Then Raoul turned and addressed the horse, "And I want no trouble out of you or we'll muzzle you like a dog. Speaking of dogs. Why are there sparrows in your dog carrier instead of a dog?"

Kel turned to look at the carrier behind Hoshi. There were indeed twelve sparrows sitting primly in the dog carrier. "Well, sir, they've been assigned to me." Seeing Raoul's disbelief Kel continued, "Yesterday I rescued a chick from a cat and its mother apparently rules the flock so she has sent these twelve to assist me in what ever way they can since she is too old to leave the palace now." Raoul's expression changed to doubt. "Don't worry, sir. Daine said they wouldn't cause any problems and would probably be a big help. They're all young and smart. She said they already know quite a bit of human speech and should be able to make themselves understood."

"Well, I suppose that they can't really hurt. Just warn them that some of the Own bring hawks with them."

"I will, sir, and thank you." Kel turned to the sparrows. "You'll need to move or Jump will squish you." The birds cheeped softly then hopped out of the carrier to land on Peachblossom's broad back. Peachblossom turned his head to inspect his passengers then rolled his eyes. Jump launched himself into the carrier. Hoshi stood calmly, not even Jump could shake the mare's composure.

The men assembled and then Raoul began to address them, "You've likely already heard that Haresfield, a village in the Royal Forest, was attacked. They were attacked by a band of centaurs and humans and we've reports of 23 dead. We already have a squad there. Chances are that the raiders have already cleared the area but we might get lucky. Keep you eyes open."

Then Raoul wheeled his horse, raised his hand and gave the signal to move forward. Lerant carrying the Own's standard rode to his right and Dom was on Lerant's right. Kel followed as per her instructions to Raoul's left. They rode out of the palace and were soon traveling at a ground-eating trot.

The men laughed and joked, including Raoul and Dom in their antics. Kel notice several hooded hawks in baggage train so when the sleepy sparrows woke up and began to fly around Kel warned, "Keep out of the way of those hawks. You're safe enough while they're hooded but be careful when they're hunting." To herself she added, "At least we'll eat well."

Raoul heard her and said, "We do try to eat regularly. I'm a big man, I get all faint if I'm not fed regularly. Imagine the disgrace if the Commander of the King's Own fell out of his saddle." This of course led immediately to ribbing from the other men.

"What about that wedding in Tameran," yelled one man.

"And that time at Fanwood," said a second.

"And when what-his-name in the army retired…" added a third.

"Enough!" roared Raoul, "Kel probably had at least some respect for me before now."

"Oh I respect you sir, especially with a lance in your hand." This of course set the whole company roaring with laughter. It seemed as though the majority of the men had accepted her most of them she had been friendly with when she had trained on the lance but she had been unsure of her welcome now that she had revealed her sex. Suddenly the next four years didn't look so bleak, she would have friends to encourage and aid her in her training. And Kel knew it would only be four years because she had some big plans for when her training was complete.

They stopped once just before entering the forest to water the horses and switch mounts. Kel dismounted and took the reins of Raoul's horse before he could protest and led them to the stream. She saw the standard bearer glare at her and figure out that it had been Lerant's job to perform these small tasks for Raoul. She sighed, Lerant had not been one of the men she was friendly with before.

Kel shrugged, it would do her no harm to share the tasks. She was certainly not an official squire, just a commander in training. She gestured to Lerant to come over to the stream, he glared again and stomped away.

"Lerant will come to accept your new position if you give him time," came a soft voice behind Kel, "He just feels threatened right now." It was Qasim who had walked up behind her silently.

"Why does he feel threatened?"

"His aunt was Delia of Eldorne, the traitoress who helped Duke Roger in his attempts to kill the king and take over the kingdom. No one would go with in 10 feet of the boy, let alone give him a position and his family is too poor now to pay for a position. Raoul heard and sort of rescued the boy, gave him a purpose."

"Thank you, Qasim"

"Fer what?" But Qasim was talking to empty air, Kel had turned to walk the horses back to Raoul. However, Kel had not dismissed the thought. She knew how Lerant felt, most people would have shunned her too if they knew she was a she and even the friends she was making in the Own would likely shun her if they knew her plans.

A few hours later the company arrived at what remained of Haresfield. An ominous cloud of smoke hung low over the village. Kel could smell the burnt flesh and wet wood familiar to her from similar raids she'd experienced in the Islands and on Alanna's lands. Raoul had the company stop a distance from the village and tie up their horses. When he caught a puzzled look on Kel's face he explained, "Its so we don't run over any tracks the bandits have made."

As they dismounted Kel turned to Jump and firmly impressed upon him that he needed to stay with the horses. The sparrows she quietly asked to look around the area for any sign of the bandits. It wasn't likely they'd stayed around but one never knew.

Dom assigned each member of the Own an area to examine for evidence and help any villagers who needed it. However, he wasn't sure whether Kel was to be assigned or if she was to stay with Raoul so he motioned her over to follow himself and Raoul into Haresfield to confer with the village elders.

Inside the village Kel saw the familiar scenes of a successful raid. People and animals littered the streets. People were moving about in the rubble of burned houses trying to clear areas and salvage what they could. Raoul and Dom approached a body that lay in the street. Five arrows that had fully penetrated the man's torso proclaimed the man's cause of death.

"I'd say those are from a long bow, sir. Other than a crossbow I don't know anything else capable of that much force," said Dom quietly.

"I agree," replied Raoul in the same hushed tone, "And this is almost certainly centaur fletching." Stroking the fletching he continued on thoughtfully, "Only they have this much access to winged immortals. Here, Kyle, feel these feathers so you can recognize them if you ever come across them again. They're griffin feathers, the centaur hold that it makes the archer's aim nearly perfect."

Ah, thought Kel, so I'm to be a boy for these villagers. Shrugging to herself she added, just as well they're likely such an insular group that a female warrior would be stoned not welcomed. She obediently knelt and felt the feathers that Raoul had indicated. The feather felt like a thick silk.

"Yes, well centaurs don't need much magical help. All of them are born with a bow in their hand and are nearly always deadly accurate even without griffin feathers." Moving to another body Dom remarked, "Well they had some human help. These are crossbow bolts and a centaur would never stoop to using a crossbow.

Raoul nodded while the village elders who had over heard Dom began to squabble amongst themselves. Even to Kel's relatively inexperienced eye this had the air of inside help. The outer walls and gates of the village were undamaged and there were no dead guardsmen at the gates either. Raoul interrupted the villagers' bickering and sent a squad to "ask" Graystreak, the leader of the closest centaur group, to come to the village and sent a messenger to request the assistance of one or two Rider Groups.

Kel followed Raoul as he inspected the rest of the village. When they arrived back at the gate Raoul nodded to the churned mud and gave Kel and looked at Kel expectantly.

Kel looked at the footprints carefully, "I say about 20-30 centaurs and about the same humans on horses. The horses were tied outside the gate, they're the shod footprints. There's no signs of fighting and no dead guards so I'd say the gate was opened from the inside." As she spoke Kel looked around. As she scanned the mud she saw a small object and picked it up. It was a doll.

"I agree, and good job on picking up the shod footprints bit," said Raoul. As Raoul spoke Kel slowly cleaned the doll's face. "We'll likely get little to no help from the villagers then. Anyone on the inside is probably someone's brother, uncle, father; a village this small everyone's related."

"They won't stay local, will they, sir?"

"They can't. They've no place to sell the stolen goods and everyone around here will recognize them. As much as the villagers might protect them from outsiders, it's still their houses that've burned and their animals that've been stolen."

Kel nodded. She thought she'd go help in the village. Excusing herself, she strode quickly past the first couple of houses where squads already labored and moved to the houses toward the far end of the village, the poorer end. This area was particularly devastated as the thatch roofs had burnt incredibly quickly, acting as tinder for the rest of the house. Young girl stood in front of one of the houses.

"That's my doll." Kel looked at the small doll in her hand and quickly handed it to the girl. "Macorm took it because he knows it's my favorite. Mama needs help."

Kel quickly entered the roofless building to find a woman trying to right a heavy wooden table. Hastily Kel moved to help the woman. A small infant lay shrouded in the corner. When the woman saw Kel looking her eyes welled up.

"That's my son. We were running out of the burning house and a stray arrow killed him." Kel gulped and felt her stomach twist. She finished helping the woman and moved to the next house. Boys and men climbed from roof to roof making sure there were no smoldering fires hiding what remained of the thatch.

A few hours later Kel heard the approach of a small group. When she reached the gate she saw the centaurs. Their leader, Graystreak, was as oily and greasy in appearance as in manner. He made excuses, saying he had cast out the rebels and thought their human friends would warn the village of the centaurs suddenly in need of wealth.

Kel saw Jump, amazingly still in Hoshi's carrier and began to walk over to them. Suddenly she heard hoof beats approaching. Whirling around she faced Graystreak. He looked at her hard, then circled her like she was a horse at auction.

Turning to Raoul he said, "She's wonderful, no weak toothpick woman. Wide-hipped good for child bearing. Perhaps she will even be able to bear one my own kind." Jump and the sparrows, apparently taking offense at Graystreak's voice rushed the centaur.

Before things could get too out of hand Raoul stepped in, "I think, Chief Graystreak, that you had best leave my trainee alone." He called off Jump, who only reluctantly left off attacking the centaur and Kel called the sparrows. The chief was liberally covered in cuts and gashes and the sparrows still had a bloodthirsty look in their eyes. They obviously considered Kel one of their own.

"I will give 3 slaves…" Slaves, thought Kel wildly, we don't have slaves!

"She is not for sale. She is my personal trainee, we do not sell people in Tortall not for any number of horses," responded Raoul implacably. Kel shivered the long, lustful look the centaur gave her gave her chills. How did he know I was a female anyway, I'm not exactly dressed like one or in a traditional role?

"If you insist. Well, as I was saying. I must be off. I had nothing to do with this raid and I must find a new market as I have many females to keep satisfied with gifts. Are you quite sure that she…" The slimy centaur broke off. Peachblossom and Raoul's horse, Drum, had pulled their pickets free and approached the centaur. Peachblossom's ears were pinned back and there was no mistaking his intent. Graystreak hissed at the two geldings and reared. Peachblossom ignored the display and attacked as soon as the centaur returned to all fours. Clearly not expecting any attack Graystreak nearly toppled in his haste to get away from both horses.

"What have you done to them," shrieked the centaur, "No gelding has _ever_ attacked a stallion! You've corrupted them!"

Dom, who had walked up to the group unnoticed said to no one in particular, "You know, I was just remarking the other day how living with a Wild Mage had changed the animals at the palace." More horses, including Hoshi, pulled free of their pickets and ranged themselves behind Peachblossom and Kel. "The horses seem to be the most advanced," continued Dom, "Although the birds are pretty far along too."

Raoul looked at the horses ruefully, they'd clearly need a new method of picketing or to obtain from their horses the promise to stay where they were put.

"Chief Graystreak, I'm sure this just slipped your mind. But under the treaty you signed, you're required to send one third of your people to capture these rogues. I'm sure that Peachblossom and Drum simply saved you the extra steps before you remember," said Raoul blandly and with an innocent expression on his face.

That night a Rider Group arrived commanded personally by Buriram Tourakom. Lerant approached Kel and told her that Raoul had requested a wine service to welcome the Commander of the Riders and the leaders of the centaurs that Graystreak had sent and pointed her toward one of the tents. As she was digging in the bags Kel was surprised when a large hand clamped onto her wrist.

"What're you doing? Stealing from the captain? I'll show you what happens to thieves in the Own," the soldier turned on the lantern and was surprised to find Kel in his grip. "'Er now. What 're you doing?"

"I was told that Lord Raoul had requested a wine service and was directed here to get it."

"Well this aint m'lord's tent. This is Captain Dom's. An' Miss Kel… m'lord doesn't drink spirits. 'Ee says 'ee 'ad a problem when 'ee was younger so now 'ee doesn't drink any at all. If 'ee wants a service a water service'll do fine." Kel nodded and thanked the older soldier. Obviously Lerant was trying to make trouble for her.

Kel brought the water service in to the meeting tent. Only Raoul and Buri where there yet. Kel nodded a greeting to Buri, with whom she had trained with only a few days ago.

"Hello, _Kyle,_ I didn't know that you had joined the Own. I wouldn't have thought that Alanna would give up her most promising student."

Keeping her face Yamani still Kel glanced at Raoul who was grinning like a madman. "M'lord has agreed to train me as he would a squire, although I will not, of course, be going through the Ordeal of Knighthood at the end nor will I be knighted so I will be a perpetual squire until m'lord promotes me."

"Just think of all the fun I can have," said Raoul, "All the fun of having and abusing a squire and no noble parents to answer to… although Alanna is pretty formidable but I can usually sweet talk her." Neither Buri nor Raoul noticed the brief flicker in Kel's eyes when parents were mentioned. She hadn't seen hers in over four years. No mention was made of Kel's gender but Kel saw Buri's questioning glance when she walked in. However, when the centaur leaders, both male and female, entered the tent discussion turned immediately to tracking the rogue centaurs and their human allies.

For several days the Own acted a bird dogs, chasing the bandits out of hiding and trying to force them into the arms of the Rider Groups. It was muddy and uncomfortable work as the Own and the centaurs tracked the bandits through forests and swamps. The centaurs and at least some of the human bandits were experienced with running from the law. Every trick that could be used was used to throw their trackers off. Kel was kept too busy and tired to worry about Lerant.

The Own knew they were causing the bandits at least some concern when three caches of stolen goods were found. However, the bandits still had time to raid several other towns. The final straw for the bandits was when the Own captured Macorm, one of the insiders from Haresfield.

Macorm's conscience had begun to bother him and when he tried to leave the bandits had turned on him. So he was quite willing to provide information, especially where the group was next headed, a village named Owlshollow where they anticipated raiding several wealthy fur traders. Raoul, using a golden key which had obviously been spelled by a magician, circled Owlshowllow on the map, causing it to appear as vision. By consulting the centaurs and the map it was determined that Owlshollow would be an ideal place to corner the bandits. There was an impenetrable marsh to south, un-climbable bluffs to the north and rivers to the either side.

The next day the Own arrived in Owlshollow. After calling a meeting it was agreed that the soldiers would be dressed as soldiers to fool any spies and after the bandits came in they would block all the exits.

Then Raoul asked, "Does anyone know of any exits we're forgetting about?"

Fierce whispering in the corner was resolved when the head herdsman stepped forward, "My son, Bernin, wishes me to remind you of a trail between the bluffs and the marsh. Its narrow and rough but it is possible for someone to go up the pass."

"Thank you, Herdsman," said Raoul. He looked around and spotting Kel he said, "Kyle I would like you to have Bernin show you the way to the top of this trail. I wouldn't want any of our _guests_ to slip away."

Kel nodded, she was disappointed she wouldn't be part of the main fight but she supposed someone had to guard the path. After the meeting Raoul came up to her, "I don't want you to think I'm putting you on the path because you are female. It is a possibility that someone will be familiar enough with the area or lucky enough to find the trail. We need a strong fighter there just in case but I can just imagine the perceived insult if I assigned one of the men. It also won't hurt your reputation with the men seeing that you are willing to do what needs to be done and that you can follow orders since right now you're sort of outside the command structure."

"I wanted to talk to you about that, sir. Would I be able to serve in a unit and still be trained by you? I don't want the soldiers to believe that I think that I am above them, only that I will be receiving more training."

Raoul grinned, "And pity you for having to put up with my work outs as well as the regular ones?" Kel shrugged. The extra practice would be welcome. She missed sparring with Liam, Alanna, Shima and the other girls.

"I'll see what I can do and when we're done with this and go back to the palace I'll see how far you've come with your jousting." Kel groaned theatrically then, followed by Jump and the sparrows went to find Bernin.

As Bernin led her up the trail he kept looking at her oddly. Finally he said, "In't Kyle a man's name?" Kel looked at Bernin carefully before answering.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

"You ain't a man… is you?" Again Kel paused before answering.

"No, but the general populace has not been apprised of the fact. How did you know?"

"Yer too old fer yer voice to be a man's, its still like a lil' boy or a girl. An' you walk n run diff'rnt." Kel sighed.

"I didn't realize it. I'm not really all that old. I'm only 14."

"Really? And yer that tall a'ready? You gonna be as tall as milord?" Kel laughed.

"Probably not but I suppose you don't see many women with my height. Do you think many other people have noticed that I'm not a male?"

"Prob'ly not. I only noticed 'cause m'own voice is changin' and you look older anyways." Bernin and Kel continued to walk. Finally they came to a bend in the path.

"This is the narrowest point o' the path and past here the ground is real rocky, not good footing fer fight'n."

"Thank you Bernin. You can go back now. And would you keep your discovery to yourself?"

"Sure, sure." Then Kel was left alone with her thoughts, Jump and the sparrows. Perhaps I should work on making my voice crack, she thought, but it seemed a waste of time. The Own knew she wasn't a boy and most other people wouldn't be around her long enough to notice. Bernin was just unusually observant and had reason to notice her voice in particular. The walking thing was another matter. She didn't think she walked like a girl but maybe she did. She'd ask Raoul about it when she got a chance.

Kel looked around her, if several people came she would be hard pressed to hold the spot herself. Perhaps she needed to set a trap just in case, not that it was likely anyone would find the path. She had her glaive and her sword but she needed something more. Then Kel thought of the rope in her pack. Taking it out she tied at a height around her shins across the path. If someone was walking carefully they would see it but if someone was fleeing and paying more attention to possible pursuers behind him then he just might trip on it. Then she sat down to wait.

She could hear when the battle began. Horns blew, shouts could be heard and occasionally the clash of weapons on armor. Kel sighed, she should be as patient as Jump who waited patiently like the born hunter he was for the enemy. Suddenly the sparrows swirled up in a spiral and began to cheap then Kel heard hoof beats on the path so she quickly hid behind a boulder near her trap and waited tensely.

Suddenly a crash, cursing and crying began occurred all at once. Obviously whoever was on the path had not seen the rope but what was the crying? Kel rushed out from behind the boulder with her glaive. It was a centaur and he'd managed to pull the rope free of the trees she'd tied it to and was now tangled in it. The crying was from a little girl who was tied to the centaur's back, the reason he had gotten so far. The centaur began to brandish a short cutlass and Kel's frozen moment of shock ended. She looked around and swiped her glaive down the ropes slicing them quickly and setting the girl free but she could not grab the girl without coming into the range of the cutlass. Jump! Would Jump be able to anything? She looked around her wildly and saw Jump crouched and ready to pounce.

"Jump! The girl!" Jump looked at her and Kel could have sworn he was calculating his leap. Then he crept around behind the centaur, pounced and grabbed the girl's dress and dragged her out of range before the centaur realized what had happened.

"Get her away, Jump!" Then Kel closed in on the centaur who scrambled to find footing for his hindquarters but they seemed to be tangled in the strap to a saddlebag as well as the rope. Finally the centaur grabbed the back and threw it. It contents squawked but Kel was too busy dealing with the centaur who had finally freed himself to pay much attention. The centaur tugged a battle axe free from his belt and threw it at Kel who dodged it then leapt toward the centaur and managed to stave off the cutlass long enough to put her glaive at his throat.

"Yield for the Crown's mercy." The centaur looked down at the blade, which had by now cut into his skin then looked Kel in the eye and kicked her with his forelegs. Kel fell back, her back and legs were on fire but she held onto her glaive as the enraged immortal charged her. He kicked up as much dust as possible hoping to blind her but Kel swung her blade in a figure eight pattern to keep him at bay. Then all of a sudden the sparrows attacked, pulling hair, diving at eyes and even drawing blood with beak and claws. The centaur forgot about Kel as he sought to escape from the birds and Kel lunged forward under the cutlass, sinking her glaive in at his naval and pulling straight up.

The centaur collapsed and Kel could tell by the foul odor that she had reached his guts. Not even a healer could save someone with a gut wound. Kel took a deep breath and slit the centaur's throat to end his suffering. But the wild eyes remained open and stared at her. Finally she turned away and saw the sack. Picking it up she heard the squawking again. She began calling for Jump and soon Jump led the little girl out of the trees with a gentle grip on her wrist. The little girl shrieked and ran towards Kel, hugging her hard around her legs and beginning to wail wildly. The pain made Kel nauseas so she sat down, tucking the little girl by her side and hoping she would cry herself out, which she did, falling asleep only moments later. Kel leaned over and opened the sack.

Later she would wonder what possessed her to open a pack that a centaur had thought important enough to carry with him personally and why she was stupid enough to stick her hand in. Her only excuse was fatigue and shock. When she stuck her hand in the creature clamped its beak onto the webbing between thumb and forefinger. Jerking back Kel pulled the creature out with it. In trying to free herself from the dingy orange bird she noticed the cat-like eyes and paws. Groaning to herself she realized it was a griffin chick. The centaur must have stolen it for its valuable feathers. Gripping its beak Kel managed to free her arm, only to have the chick attack her mail covered arm. At least it wasn't drawing blood now, thought Kel. Using her arm as leverage Kel wrapped the chick in her leather pack and squeezed it between her legs. But the pain from her injuries from the centaur and these new ones combined to cause her to pass out. Leaving Jump and the sparrows as anxious guards.

Several hours later Raoul found them. The little girl with her thumb in her mouth curled up next to Kel, who despite passing out had managed to keep her legs clamped tightly around the griffin. Raoul immediately recognized the griffin for what it was and told the men to step back. Griffin parents knew who had handled their babies even decades later and Raoul really did not need an entire squadron identified as griffin stealers to the magical eye. Then he saw the centaur, split naval to chest and with a wide gash across his throat.

Trying not to disturb either the child or the griffin Raoul quietly tapped Kel on the shoulder. Then shook her a little harder. Finally her eyes opened by they were glazed with pain.

"Sir. What are you doing here? Do you think I run like a girl?" Then Kel passed out again. Raoul looked at her incredulously.

"Does she run like a girl? She is holding a griffin chick, looks like she got kicked in the ribs by the centaur but still ended up slitting its throat and she wants to know if she runs like a girl and has the indecency to pass out again before I can ask any questions."

"Well, you know, sir," said one of the squad members, "She does sorta run like she's got her ankles tied together. I juss never thought of it before."

"You're missing the point, Marcus. Does anyone know how to contact Numair or Daine. I'm not touching that griffin with a 10 foot pole."

So this is kind of an abrupt ending for this chapter but I figured it was long enough and I can start with Kel waking up in the next chapter. I realize that a lot of this chapter was paraphrase from the book but it is crucial to where I want to eventually go with the story for all the background to be set up. Thanks to all reviewers, especially those who managed to find my story despite the fact that I haven't updated since September. Any new reviews are (as always) appreciated.

FyreDragon


	6. New Lessons and New Faces

Thank you to all reviewers over the past month or so for your patience and your enthusiastic encouragement. I really have no excuse for why its taken me so long to update except the story wasn't flowing. I write in spurts so most of this spurted out last night so hope you enjoy.

Kel woke with a start when something slimy landed on her face. She sat up, dizzy from the pain of her injuries, although it seemed that they were mostly bruises now. Then she was hit again with something slimy. She turned and found the apparent source; the griffin chick she had rescued was sitting on a perch by a table in the corner. Other than the griffin she was alone in the room.

When the griffin noticed that Kel was awake it immediately began squawking and screeching at the top of its lungs. Kel immediately heard footsteps and shouts outside of her door but no one entered. She looked at the griffin. Assured of her attention it opened its mouth and began to beg.

"Uh uh. You've been feeding yourself for however long I've been passed out you can continue to do so." Then another slimy piece of fish landed squarely on Kel's mouth and the griffin began shrieking again. Knowing that she was probably in a Healing hospital and other people were likely sleeping Kel reluctantly got up and after a brief battle over the food dish, leaving her with a bitten finger and several long gashes on her arm, fed the griffin until it was satisfied and fell asleep.

"You handled that very well," came a quiet but familiar voice from the doorway. Kel looked up to see Daine leaning on the door post.

"Were you the one that managed to get this monster in here with out being killed?"

Daine laughed, "Yes, although I believe I intimidate the little a bit more than you do."

"Are you going to take him then?"

"I can't. I have to be away too often on the King's business and even when I go places in my human form he will draw too much attention to me. I can't leave him with Numair or any of our servants so I'm afraid you've been left with the job of raising this chick until I can find its parents. I'm here to teach you how to take care of him, although it looks like you're well on your way to figuring that out, and I think our first order of business after we bandage your wounds, is a bath. It doesn't look like that centaur was taking very good care of him. Although who knows, the condition may be a carry over from the peddler."

Seeing Kel's quizzical look Daine continued, "From the remaining bandits we found out that the centaur you killed had killed the peddler that had originally kidnapped the little, so there is no way of telling where it came from." Kel sighed, so much for a quick solution.

Over the next few days Kel got better at avoiding being mauled by the griffin but still regularly came away from feeding him with long scratches and once when the griffin had managed to grab her finger he broke it. Kel didn't know what she would have done without all the healers attached to the Own. It was a standing joke among the men, that her bruises may be from practice but anything that bled was from the griffin.

The Own escorted all the surviving bandits back to the capital where their trials were held. In several cases members of the Own were required to testify. Macorm, the conscience striken bandit, was given 10 years service in the army but the rest of the humans were sentenced to be hung and the centaurs to be beheaded.

Kel went with Raoul, Dom and Buri to the executions as representatives of the Kings Own and the Queens Riders. As she watched the festive crowd her stomach turned. How could people enjoy the ending of a life. Even if that person was completely evil it was still nothing to celebrate. There were families, with young children. But Kel carefully hid her feelings behind the mask she had learned in the Yamani Isles.

On the nights following the executions Buri, Raoul and Dom ate together with Kel to serve them. She noticed that none of the commanders had the same light attitude as the crowd had seemed to have. After dinner one night as Buri was leaving she pulled Kel aside.

"I assume that Raoul at least knows the truth."

"Yes, in fact the whole Own knows the truth. The only time that I am Kyle is when we are dealing with outsiders or with people we aren't sure won't flip their conservative wigs if they knew a girl was training to become a commander in the Kings Own."

"I see. Then the introduction of Kyle was for the benefit of the centaurs and villagers."

"Yes, I believe so. My lord does not consult me before his decisions however."

Buri nodded, "As it should be. You're in training though so he wants your questions not your blind obedience. Although there is always a time for blind obedience as well."

Buri looked at Kel hard for a minute then said, "I know the executions are tough. I get through them by imaging the victims. Those they've already harmed and the ones they could potentially harm in the future."

"Do you ever get used to it?"

"No. And its my belief that you shouldn't. It means you've lost something that makes you a decent human being."

"Do the K'mir execute criminals?"

"We give them to the family of the victim and they usually kill them. After so many years here in Tortall I'm not sure which is better. A formal execution with a swift death but the bitterness is directed at the crown. Bitterness which we a law enforcers get to deal with down the road. Or allowing families to resolve it themselves, which often leads to bitter feuds."

Kel nodded and Buri extended her hand. "Good luck with your training. You're going to need it. Especially if you're going to be training on the lance with the Giantkiller." Then Buri left with a wink.

* * *

As the year progressed Kel saw many new sights she hadn't been exposed to at the Swoop. There were no Stormwings at the Swoop, nor were there any of the winged horses and apes, unicorns or basilisks. Once during a brief stop at the palace Kel met Tkaa and had a long conversation about the nature of some of the immortals she met. She even managed to work up the courage to ask how the Stormwings were surviving without constant battles and thousands of dead to feed on now. Tkaa looked at her sadly. 

"There is still plenty of human suffering and fear for them to feed on. Just hanging around the slums of a large city can feed an eyrie. But they do occasionally go out and deliberately frighten people, though they're not supposed to."

Raoul had been in the other room during her discussion with Tkaa and remarked later, "Well, we're giving them a chance but after Port Legann I'll never trust them."

Kel looked at him and asked, "Can you tell me about Port Legann. I studied it but only in books and with markers on a map."

They were sitting at the officers tables in the mess hall when Kel asked this and after Raoul told her his view each of the other officers there told of their experiences. For many evenings from that point on Kel and the junior officers would listen as the older officers and Raoul explained the tactics and strategies they had used.

Whenever, they were at the palace Kel trained on the lance with Raoul as often as she was able usually in the early afternoon. She would practice, generally alone in the morning after feeding the griffin. Then in the evening, after an enjoyable meal with the Own and sometimes a few knights and their squires, Raoul would set her mathematical problems dealing with supplies for large groups of people. After she'd successfully completed her tasks she and Raoul would talk about any subject that came to mind while she fed the griffin again.

After a protracted stay at the palace when the kingdom seemed fairly calm with only minor emergencies that could be handled by a single squad, Raoul started Kel jousting with other people. She learned quickly that she was at least as good if not better than just about every squire she jousted and many of the knights as well.

One day after a satisfying joust with one of Raoul's knight friends, a Sir Jerel, the knight addressed Raoul, "You're planning on having him joust during the Progress then?"

Raoul nodded but this was the first Kel had heard of jousting during the Progress which had been in the planning for at least a year and half now. "I'll win money on him too. Not many suspect what I have here."

Sir Jerel grinned ruefully, "I agree. He had me out of the saddle twice in one week and nearly out several times more than that. I doubt my squire could do half as well." Jerel looked grim for a second, "Not that that's saying much. Garvey is a lazy and nasty piece of work. I wouldn't have picked him if I knew his personality before hand." Then Kel and Jerel shook hands and Jerel left.

"And that, my dear Kel, is why I have refused to take a squire in the past. The ones with the skills are often arrogant and cruel. I don't know what Wyldon is doing but it seems to me that the last two batches of squires has been particularly nasty. But perhaps I just can't see the good for the bad. Nealan of Queenscove seems like a good lad. Even if he wasn't to begin with Alanna's beaten any arrogance out him by now. There's a few others that aren't so bad I've heard. I guess the knights with the rotten apples just complain the loudest."

Kel kept silent. She still secretly wished she could be on an equal footing with those boys. Not because she felt they were better than her but because they had the chance to become real knights. To face the Ordeal and then be accepted by everyone as worthy of knighthood. But she knew that even had Wyldon allowed her to stay, which was doubtful, she never would have been treated as their equals.

The next day Alanna returned to the palace with Neal, as well as Merina and Keren who were planning on joining the Queen's Riders since Buri had taken a personal interest in Alanna's protégés. Neal knew Kel's true identity now and had figured out that Kel, Merina and Keren were the one's who had rescued the page group. But he was sworn to secrecy.

That evening Kel ate with Neal who introduced her to all of the squires who were present. Kel was worried when Cleon said that his knight master was Sir Inness, Kel's brother, but when her brother came in with Lord Wyldon he didn't even look twice at the squires' table. The group of squires discussed what was happening at each of their posts. Cleon had a disturbing report. The Scanran clans which had merely been a nuisance before we now unifying under a man named Maggur Rathhausak. The Scanrans had taken Northwatch Fortress, the key to the northern border earlier that year but General HaMinch had quickly taken it back and court-martialed every officer in charge during the attack. Kel shuddered. If there was a war many of her new friends and she herself would be right in the thick of it.

"Did you hear about the Yamani princess and her entourage," said Neal excitedly. "I saw one of them in halls. She was gorgeous with hair as black a midnight, her skin pale as the moon and her eyes a glittering brown. If that was Princess Shinkokami I am quite jealous of Roald."

"Neal, that describes nearly every Yamani woman and many of the men as well," said Kel drily. "Did you happen to catch the names of the entourage?"

"Lady Haname noh Ajikuro, Lady Yukimi noh Daiomoru, Prince Eitaro noh Nakuji, and some others I don't remember. You know the princess of course Princess Shinkokami."

"Well I recognize the family names of course but I don't believe I know any of them personally."

"What a shame. I was hoping you could introduce us," said Neal in a wheedling tone.

"I still may be able to do that as I know the correct Yamani etiquette but I'm not sure they will take you seriously since you are of course an uncouth Easterner." After that the boys fell back into their discussion of politics, bandits and war, with occasional side notes to tease Neal about his mysterious lady love. Silently Kel contemplated the Yamani princess and her entourage. Sending not only a second level imperial princess as well as the Prince Eitaro and an Ajikuro to escort her meant the Emperor was fully committed to this alliance. She hoped the Princess and Prince Roald had a happy marriage.

Kel went back to her room where Raoul had a series of problems for her to solve. "M'lord, you set me these problems for groups much in excess of a squad in the Own, sometimes even for more than the whole company. I don't mean to be disrespectful but why? Once everyone know who and what I am I will be lucky if you're allowed to make me a squadron commander."

Raoul looked at Kel with a half smile, "I've been waiting for you to ask me. I think you're wrong about what will happen once you come out as they say. At the level that we are at there are four types of warriors. There are heroes like Alanna, who find quiet corners to fight in alone. Then there are knights, your everyday knights, like your brothers. They patrol borders, protect their tenants and respond to the king's commands of aid. They generally work alone, too. Then there are soldiers, warriors who can be excellent fighters but need someone to give them orders. They can be found in every fighting force in the world and thank heaven for them. They make up the bulk of those forces and generally work in groups. Then there are commanders. Commanders can evaluated the strengths and weakness of those who serve under them. Can make quick decisions when called upon to do so and also know when to weigh all options and consider decisions for a time. Good commanders are as rare as heroes. I sort of stumbled into this job. I'd been trained to work as a knight. Alone, independent with maybe a squire to back me up most of the time. But you, Alanna has seen it and after hearing about the page rescue I know it too, you have the potential to be a great commander. Now stop grumbling and finish those sums."

Kel absently wrote her answer on the slate. She had figured it out in her head before she had asked the question.

"Show off. Go to bed, squire." After feeding the griffin Kel did so.

* * *

The next morning Kel was out in the practice courts when she saw five women come out to the practice courts. She recognized Alanna and Buri and thought the third woman was the queen. The other two were undoubtedly from the Yamani delegation as they wore full length kimonos. She was just finishing up her sword practice and usually moved onto her shadow dances with her glaive next. She was swinging the glaive to start a shadowdance when a quiet voice asked, "Where did you learn to use the _naginata _like a native born Yamani?" 

Kel whirled around with the glaive in a defensive position. She saw the two Yamani girls that had come out with Alanna and Buri.

"I lived in the Yamani Isles when I was younger and learned while I was there."

"But you did not stay so sharp by practicing elementary shadowdances you must have had someone to practice with."

"My mother." It wasn't quite a lie. Kel had practiced with Ilane, just not within the last five years.

"Would you like to practice with us? We are teaching my soon to be mother-in-law and some of her friends how to use the_ naginata_. If we had three instructors it would go better as there are three students."

Kel considered carefully. She supposed there could be no harm. Buri and Alanna knew who she was. She'd just have to be careful with the queen. She bowed low, Yamani style, to the princess, then said in Yamani, "I would be honored, Your Highness."

"Please call me Shinkokami or even Shinko. It is nice to hear another person speak our tongue. But we must speak Common for our students." The Princess looked slyly at the other woman, "The queen has an atrocious accent but I love that she is trying."

The other woman began to laugh, "Be glad that you will not have to be the slave of your new mother-in-law. She is in fact encouraging your independence."

Kel watched the two young women. They appeared to be about the same age as she, although they were much shorter and more delicate. Both looked slightly familiar. Then the princess laughed and Kel suddenly recognized her.

"Cricket!" She blurted out.

Immediately the two women stopped laughing and looked more closely at Kel.

"Just who are you?" said the woman Kel now recognized as Cricket's closest playmate, Yuki.

Kel looked at them gape mouthed for a moment before remembering to shut her mouth and keep her face smooth. Should she tell them? Would they keep her secret? "Its me, Kel."

Now it was the Yamanis' turn to be surprised though they quickly whipped out fans to hide their expressions. "Keladry of Mindelan is dead. We have spoken to the Baron and Baroness," said Yuki.

Kel grimaced, "I am dead to most of the world at least. I wasn't going to be allowed to train. So I faked my death and found a trainer." When she saw the Yamani's eyes widen Kel rushed to assure them, "My parents know the truth and possibly my oldest brother Anders but no one else."

After a moment of silence the girls looked at each other and then embraced. "I am so happy you're alive! We mourned when got word of your death," said Shinko.

"You never told me you were an Imperial Princess!"

"We were out of favor while you were there and I loved that you treated me like a normal person."

Just then Kel heard Alanna, "Are we going to learn how to use a glaive or are you girls going to talk that young man to death." Immediately the girls stared at Kel.

"For purposes of my continued training I am know as Kyle at the palace. Especially to the royal family." Again their eyes widened but then they nodded their acceptance.

"Come along then, Kyle, to help us show these Easterners how Western women fight."

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. And reviews good and critical are always welcome.

FyreDragon


	7. Rebellions Small and Large

I'm sorry it took so long to update (mea culpa). Thanks for all the reviewers who kept reminding me that I needed to carve time out of my insane schedule to write. Hope you enjoy and as always reviews are appreciated.  
FyreDragyn

Kel spent many mornings after that helping Yuki and Shinko to try to teach the three western women how to use the glaive. She also spent many evenings in long conversations with the two Yamani women, reminiscing and talking about what Shinko could expect when she met Prince Roald, who currently was in Port Legann with his knight master. Kel did not know the prince personally but the squires she knew spoke well of him and she hoped that Shinko would be happy with him.

Then in late summer there was a rebellion on Fief Shaila, which Raoul took Third Company to deal with. Almost before they had quelled the rebellion, there were forest fires reported in the hills near the Drell River and the Third worked hard for several weeks to clear breaks and to trap the fires. Working with the local inhabitants, the hill people, the Bazhir and the soldiers they were able to save every village. When the rains finally fell they brought relief from the fires but now everything was coated in mud and soot, including Kel and the other members of the Own.

"I'd like to head south for the winter," said Raoul to his squad leaders a few days after it had been confirmed that no more fire smoldered hidden in the thick underbrush of the forest.

"But, sir, the palace will be very busy won't his majesty want us or at least you to be there?" said Dom.

"Exactly the reason we're going south. He'll want me dressed up in fancy silks and attending parties. And do you know who comes to parties? Husband hunting mothers." Raoul shuddered eloquently, "No I think we'll go to Kendrach. They won't turn away any armed men since the Carthakis are still rebelling against Kaddar's succession."

"But, sir, what about those of us who want to attract the attention of the husband hunting mothers? Not all of them look down on younger sons."

"Especially those who have plenty of money," came a voice of one of the squad leaders.

"You'll just have to miss it this year I've made up my mind."

While there was still considerable grousing amongst the men they all respected Raoul too much to actually complain to him. So Third Company went to Kendrach. They had been there about a week during which Raoul had time to privately train Kel alongside her training with the men of the Own. It was during that time that Kel finally had a chance to speak to Lerant privately. While they were still not best friends they had reached an understanding. But after they had been there a little over a week and before they had seen any action a letter arrived from the palace.

Nobody knew what the letter said but from the dark clouds on Raoul's face everyone knew that he was not happy about it. Kel got the impression that it was something along the lines of "Stop being childish and come back to the palace where you're supposed to be." Still Third Company stayed at Kendrach. Kel learned how to sail a small vessel, she'd been too young when she lived in the Yamani Islands. She and the gryphon had reached the point now where he didn't deliberately try to maim her, largely because he had figured out that Kel was his only food source.

Then another letter arrived, from the palace but not the official looking letter that had arrived from the King. Kel came upon Raoul reading the letter the night it arrived. He looked up at her when she walked in.

"Do you think I'm being childish and unreasonable by not wanting to subject myself to the torture of matchmakers, bootlickers, and assorted other toadies while wearing uncomfortable and brightly colored clothes? I can have a normal conversation with about five people in the whole palace and I bet none of them will be available to talk to since all my friends are important people and will be surrounded by their own circle of sycophants," said Raoul plaintively.

"Well," said Kel reflectively, "If there is no good reason to undergo this torture then I'd say no but ah sir, a direct order from the King is a pretty good reason."

"It's really not fair that your childhood friend can order you about like that."

"If I may ask, sir, who is that letter from?"

"Thayet, of course, telling me that Jon is not handling my continued residence here in Kendrach well and that I should hurry back to Corus. She also plays the guilt card and the 'you need to support your best friend' card."

Kel managed to keep a straight face and not point out to her commander that he did indeed sound like a whiny child. "Are we going to Corus then?"

Raoul glared but nodded. The next day the company was on its way back to the Royal Palace. When they arrived the city was in an uproar. Resentment had boiled from the middle and lower classes over a case that was to be tried in court in a few days. It seemed that a female maid had been kidnapped and brutally raped in an attempt to frighten her mistress into complying with the lord's to join their fiefs through marriage.

Since the middle class was well aware of or able to research legal precedents it was widely known that the worst sentence the lord could legally be given was a monetary fine. Nor could the maid's mistress punish the lord herself as she was a widow with no male relatives except a 5 year old son.

When Third Company rode through Corus they passed three people on three separate street corners denouncing the evil system which counted anyone not nobly born as mere chattel, little more than slaves. They were also spit at and booed by some of the bolder members of the crowd. Kel just barely managed to duck in time before being hit with a rotten vegetable. Raoul was looking more and more grim as they approached the palace.

The outer walls were covered with egg and vegetable juices. The palace guard had managed to prevent any defacement of the wall that required being closer than 5 yards but vegetables and eggs apparently made excellent projectiles.

There was a message waiting for Raoul when he and Kel reached it. It came as no surprise that it summoned Raoul to a meeting with the king. What was surprising was that Raoul wished Kel to come with him as his attendant.

"I've noticed you often have rather inspirational ideas in times of crisis and I want you to hear everything," said Raoul, "Besides, I can make you take notes so I don't have to pay attention. The meeting is formal enough that a secretary of sorts won't be out of the ordinary and not so formal that we'd call in a court scribe."

After a quick sponge bath and a change of clothes, Kel followed Raoul to the meeting room. As she did she thought about the little she knew about the case but she also thought of Lalasa back at Pirate's Swoop. Lalasa had experience something similar to the maid. However she had been unaffiliated at the time and had no one to come to her defense except the housekeeper who was apparently of the opinion that every maid was a slut and deserved what she got. This was why Lalasa's uncle had wanted to send her far away from the palace.

When Kel stepped into the room behind Raoul she immediately recognized several people in the room. Alanna was there, scowling blackly although when she saw Kel she smiled briefly apparently in satisfaction, as well as Thayet, Buri, Numair and Daine. Kel was quickly able to pick out King Jonathan even though he was not wearing a crown and she'd only met him once.

Raoul sat down next to one of the men that Kel did not know and she followed him. Taking a chair conveniently placed behind Raoul's seat. She noticed that the unknown man was one of only 2 people in the room besides Raoul with a secretary. The room buzzed with conversation, the meeting had apparently not yet been called to order.

Focusing on Raoul she heard him say to the man, "Gary, what's the scoop. I've been in Kendrach for the last month, give me some details that haven't been made up by rumor mills."

From this Kel realized that this was her friend Gary's father, Gareth the Younger of Naxen. Now that she knew she couldn't believe she had missed the resemblance. The features that made his daughter's face seem plain were much better looking on him. However, it seemed that the Lord of Naxen had not been sleeping well since he had dark circles under his eyes.

Pulling her wandering thoughts back under control Kel listened to Gareth briefly fill in some details. There had been riots and protests in the city for the last four days. Apparently the maid's story had spread through the servants' gossip chain and had inspired fear in other servants in the palace that they could be treated just as cavalierly. The outrage of the palace servants had quickly spread through the Lower City and even through the middle classes as the middle class realized that though they had more money than the lower classes they had no more rights under the law.

The maid had apparently been kidnapped from the hallways by some hired roughnecks on her way to the kitchen to return her mistress's lunch tray. She had been missed about an hour later by her mistress and there had been a fairly discreet search of the palace for the missing maid. Unfortunately she had not been found. Instead she was found the following morning severely beaten and unconscious with a note pinned to the rough blanket she had been wrapped in. There was no sign of the dress she had been wearing when she was kidnapped. The note pointed out that it was not too much more difficult to kidnap a noble woman without any male protection than it was to kidnap her maid and if she did not soon see the error of her ways she could expect the same treatment.

Finally the meeting was brought to order when King Jonathan cleared his throat and gestured for everyone who was still standing to be seated. The king of course sat at the head of the table, Thayet to his right and to his left was a rather nice looking young man only a few years older than Kel. Must be the Crown Prince Roald, Shinko's betrothed, thought Kel.

"As you all know there have been some problems in the city in the last few days," began the king. He was interrupted by a rude noise from Alanna who sat only a few seats away. Kel winced the Lioness was not known for her well controlled tongue.

"Come on, Jon, there have been more than 'some problems.' There has been all out rioting. No noble can ride into the city without a full escort since the people are quick to attack and slow to ask questions. While I think they're justified in their protest of the law I find it insulting that they are tarring every member of the nobility with the same brush as that filthy Baron Naton."

"As always, Sir Alanna, thank you for your opinions." Alanna merely rolled her eyes at the king. Kel couldn't imagine anyone being comfortable enough with any of the other kings or emperors she'd met (admittedly few) to roll their eyes at them, but it seemed Alanna was this comfortable. She heard Raoul and Lord Gareth chuckle. Lord Gareth even muttered about Lionesses never changing their stripes and Raoul muttered back that Jon needed someone to give him the unvarnished truth every once in while. Kel thought to herself, I don't think Alanna restrains herself to every once in a while.

The king proceeded to lay out all the facts as he knew them. Finally opening the table for discussion he said, "I do not know what the best solution to this problem is, that is why I have called all of you here. Please do not hesitate to suggest any ideas that occur to you, even if you think they may be impossible to implement."

Almost immediately a man on the opposite of the table from Kel stood up, "This rioting is ridiculous. It needs to be crushed quickly with force from the army and the King's Own. Are we to be dictated to by the whims of the lower classes?"

Alanna was the first and loudest one to reply, "Are you mad, man? Do you want them to murder us in our beds? Do you want the farmers to stop delivering food to the city? Do want every servant to either leave or become sullen discontents in your own house if you force them to stay? And what kind of force do you plan on using? Do you plan to seek out the leaders and murder them? It will only make them martyrs for the cause. Do you plan to destroy their property and family? A man with nothing left to loose is the most dangerous enemy of all. Force against people who are justifiably outraged is not the answer. Perhaps we should just hang Naton and appease the people."

Lord Naxon shook his head, "Now come, come, Alanna. It would set a bad precedent. If we did that then every time some servant wished to cause his master trouble he or she would just need to accuse him of rape."

From there the room erupted in disagreements. King Jonathon sat at the head of the table and appeared to be trying to listen to everyone, although since everyone was trying to talk over someone else Kel didn't see how he could. Raoul leaned back and said, "What do you think?"

Startled, it took Kel a moment to answer, "Well sir, I think one of the reasons this hasn't occurred in the past is that there has usually been a male knight or lord that could demand restitution for such a crime. However, there isn't in this case. Perhaps the short term answer would be for the king to assign a champion for the maid and the lord would face serious repercussions for his actions. But I do think that the best long term answer, sir, is to just change the law."

"Change the law?" said Raoul, loudly enough that the Lord Naxon heard.

"What? Change the law. That could take years and in the meantime every time a similar case arises we'll have the same problem over again since the people wouldn't be able to see any change until we managed to get the law past all the conservatives."

"That would be a problem," Raoul agreed, "But wait, you suggested a champion for this one case, Kyle. Why not create a position in the government, which Jon could do by decree without having to get all the old guard to agree? The job would be to champion any commoner who could prove that they had been wronged by a noble until we can get the law changed. His title could be the People's Champion and he'd have the same rank as the King's Champion."

"You know, Raoul, that might not be a bad idea. Let's wait until Jon gets fed up with all this shouting so he can actually hear us."

As if on cue, King Jonathon stood up and shouted, "All right! That's enough! This is supposed to be a civilized discussion not the verbal equivalent of a barroom brawl." Kel wondered if the king had ever seen a barroom brawl.

"Now if you would all be quiet, I am willing to entertain suggestions, suggested one at a time," said the king, "And in a calm manner," he added after a look at Alanna and a few other people around the table.

Raoul stood up. Several people appeared startled. It seemed her mild mannered commander did not usually speak at such meetings. Even Alanna looked surprised.

"Jon, have you considered just changing the law?" Now most of the people at the table looked dumbfounded. However, Alanna looked sharply at Kel.

"Ah, I had actually entertained the idea but I don't see how it would help the current situation. It takes months if not years to get a law passed, especially if…" The king stopped and Kel realized that at least some of the key objectors to the law were probably in the room right now.

"Well actually, we have a suggestion for the short term while the law is being changed. Why don't you appoint someone to champion any commoner who needs a champion. You could call him," glancing at Alanna, "or her, the People's Champion. Once it has been proven that a noble has committed a crime against a non-noble the non-noble should have the right to ask whoever takes this job to champion them." There was a short silence.

"Well why don't we just make it a permanent position then?" said a man further down the table from Raoul.

"No, that won't work," thought Kel. Everyone's eyes shot to her and she realized she had said it aloud and rather loudly. Raoul turned and looked at her and smiled.

"My secretary is actually a member of the King's Own, who I am training for a command position in the near future. He was actually the one to suggest both changing the law and a champion for the people."

King Jonathon looked at the young man sitting behind Raoul, he was almost positive it was the same young man that he had run into in Alanna's rooms but he couldn't tell from Alanna's face which appeared to be deep in thought. What had his name been? "Well young man, what exactly did you have in mind?" Raoul nudged the boy to make him stand.

"Actually, Your Majesty," said the boy, "I only suggested a champion for the maid in the current case. M'lord of Goldenlake suggested the semi-permanent position. But sire, the position is only a stop gap measure. The champion cannot be everywhere all the time and while the people might be satisfied with this as a place holder I don't think they, particularly those I saw denouncing nobles on the streets of Corus, would be completely satisfied unless the law was changed. Especially since the champion would also have to be of noble birth for him or her to be taken seriously by other nobles."

Thayet, at his side, murmured, "He's right you know." Jonathon nodded.

"Thank you, young man. What is your name?" There was an awkward pause for a moment.

"Kyle Mindle, sire."

"Thank you, Kyle. Does anyone else have another suggestion?" No one stood up. "Well then this meeting is adjourned. I will notify you as to my decision before I notify the general populace."

After his councilors had left the room, Jonathon turned to his wife and his son, "What do you think?"

"I think his suggestion was the most sensible one made," said Thayet matter-of-factly.

"I am glad he thought of the champion," said Roald, "None of us could think of what to do to both solve the immediate problem and prevent trouble in the future."

"Kyle Mindle is quite an interesting fellow," said Thayet, "He knows combat like a Shang, was apparently trained by Alanna, but he helps Shinkokami and Yukimi teach Alanna, Buri, and myself the glaive, he is friends with Daine, Numair and Buri and it appears that Raoul is groom him to take over his position."

"Yet he seems so young. Not much older than 15. His voice hasn't even changed yet," added the king, "But he is definitely proficient with his weapons. Alanna had him give me a demonstration of the use of the glaive."

"Did you see Alanna, Raoul and Buri all freeze when you asked his name?" asked Roald.

"Yes actually, that was most curious. Perhaps I should have Myles look into this Kyle Mindle," said Jonathon.

Thayet shrugged, "I do not think it is secret that would impact the state. You forget that if Alanna trained him, he lived with George for years. Plenty of time for George to sniff out his secrets and tell us if they were dangerous."

"You're right. Alanna and Raoul also know everything and while we have our disagreements I don't think they'd keep secrets that might harm the realms."

"Well, I'll be off, father. I need to meet Lord Imrah."

After Roald left Thayet sighed, "He's grown up so fast. He'll be married soon. He and Shinko are so awkward together though."

"They'll get over it, love. My parents had an arranged marriage and they loved each other by the time I remember them."

"You're right, I just wish we could have let him choose his own bride." The two walked out of the council chamber heading back to their own chambers.


	8. Discussions and Visions

Thanks everyone for your reviews. Sorry for the long delay. You would think summer would be more conducive to writing but in fact it is not. So here it is, my latest update. Thanks for still reading.

Kel left the conference room with Raoul and the Lord Naxen butthe two men were reminiscing so she slipped away. She entered the wing that her apartments were in and found Jump with four fresh scratches across his muzzle and frantic to get out of the wing. When he saw her he ran immediately to her door and Kel rushed after him. Hearing the sparrow shrieks as she got closer she could guess what the problem was. She had some what been anticipating that the gryphon chick would start to view the sparrows as prey, which they were in the wild.

Kel rushed into her room using noise to startle the gryphon enough to give her time to wrap him up in a blanket. The sparrow he had cornered under her desk seemed not to have been injured in anyway. So she placed the sparrow, whom she had named Arrow because of a marking on his head, on the bed and spanked the gryphon. She spanked him loudly not hard and made sure he saw Arrow to make the connection between the punishment and the sparrow.

After Kel let the gryphon flutter to a corner of the room to hide, she picked Arrow up and went to find Daine, leaving Jump to keep a watch on the gryphon. She found Daine in her rooms with Numair.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Daine, but could you look at Arrow? I don't think he's hurt but the gryphon had him cornered under my desk."

Immediately Daine came over and took the frightened sparrow off to a quiet corner.

"Are you having trouble with the chick," asked Numair.

Kel sighed, "This is the first time he's tried to attack one of the sparrows but he's maturing. He can fly short distances and apparently he's becoming interested in live prey. Otherwise nothing unusual."

"Daine asks everywhere she goes if any of the Immortals have heard of a gryphon pair missing a chick. So far nothing. Still, you've been doing an excellent job, youngling. Training with that bunch of rowdies, raising a gryphon chick, advising Raoul and by extension the king, all that can't be easy to balance. Especially since not everyone knows who you are."

Kel gulped, "And you do, sir?"

"My dear, I can say, without fear of accusations of false pride, that I am the most powerful mage in Tortall. The signs are there for someone who looks and while I was not precisely looking for you it is part of my job to do regular scans of the King's companions."

"Have you told Daine?"

"I think she may have figured it out on her own. She is good friends with Alanna and Buri and while they may not have deliberately told her my Daine is sharp and has picked things up I'm sure."

"Are you planning on telling the King who Kyle Mindle really is?"

"The true identity of Kyle Mindle does not seem to me to be secret that could seriously imperil the safety of their Majesties or the kingdom."

"Thank you, sir."

"Oh, please, the sir is really unnecessary. It makes me feel even more ancient than I already am."

"Yessi…, uh thank you."

"He seems to be alright," said Daine as she returned with Arrow on her shoulder, "Just a little shaken but he'll be his usual confident self in a short while."

"Thank you, Daine. I'm sorry to have interrupted your afternoon."

"It's no trouble. Please, if you ever have other troubles you think I can help with please come here."

"The same for me," added Numair.

Kel nodded and returned with Arrow to her room where Jump was waiting.

"I don't know what I ever did without you, Jump."

Raoul returned to their rooms shortly after that. He looked around at the disarray that Kel had yet to clean up.

"Problems?"

"Just the normal with the gryphon, Sir."

"I see. I guess Daine hasn't had any luck finding his parents? No don't answer that was rhetorical. He wouldn't still be here if she had found them. Gary is impressed with you."

Kel looked at him blankly.

"Your solution was creative, fair and expedient. He wants to steal you from me but I told him I didn't think you'd be interested."

"No, Sir, I very much enjoy the King's Own."

"That's what I thought you'd say. Of course you have nothing to say about the compliments. You know Jon is asking questions about you?"

"No, Sir, I didn't."

"What do you think of our king?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think he is a good king?"

"Good is such a relative term."

"Have you been taking philosophy classes behind my back? Give me your honest opinion. Don't worry that I'll be offended because he's my friend as well as my king."

"Today he seemed very fair and willing to listen to opinions. But judging from his actions in the past he seems very willing to compromise any of his morals or ideals in the name of politics."

"You mean the page training."

"Well that is one instance. His original document said nothing about a probationary year. Particularly one to be served and evaluated by one of the most diehard conservatives. I suppose he did it as a compromise but it seems to me that a king should stick to his ideals."

"Even if it means that less is accomplished in the long run?"

"I agree that some compromise is always a part of law and rule but it seems that His Majesty has compromised on some important ideological issues. However, whatever I think him I still owe him my duty as a subject and as a noble."

"Now see that is what concerns Jon I think. He knows that anyone I train is not going to be an anarchist or a traitor but what he is concerned about is whether you serve because you believe or because it is your duty. There is a big difference you see." Roaul sighed, "I sometimes think that Jon my friend is a very different person than King Jonathon IV."

"What was it like as page with King Jonathon, Alanna, even Lord Naxen?"

"Ah but what people lose sight of is that we were just a bunch of boys like most others. True Jon was the Crown Prince and had duties and Gary's father was the page trainer but we got in and out of mischief just like all the other pages. Alanna was the worst of us, really. She was the one who introduced us to George when he was still the King of Thieves in Corus. She was also the one who single handedly removed one of the biggest bullies in the palace. He may not have looked at it that way but when Page Alan humiliated Ralon enough to make him leave page training she really did him a favor. I doubt he would have passed the Ordeal."

"Does the Ordeal really kill unfit squires?"

"Yes, though not often. It's not human so you can't consider it merciless. It is just hard, implacable and it tests candidates to their breaking point. Finish up your cleaning and I'll give you a free afternoon."

After Kel had cleaned she wandered out to the stables to spend time with Peachblossom and Hoshi. The two got along fairly well and Kel suspected Peachblossom didn't mind nearly as much as he pretended to having the mare along to share the burden. As she was leaving she ran into Dom.

"Heyla, heard you were demonstrating some of those tactics lessons we've been giving you in the King's Advising Session."

"Ah, not really. Sir Raoul just asked for my opinion and then ran with it."

"Ha. That's why you're in training and he's the commander. Still it was your idea this people's champion."

"You know I don't know how the king manages to keep a secret in this place it's worse than the weaving room back home for gossip."

"Those old men on the council are much worse gossips than any weaver woman. The weaver at least has work to occupy part of her mind."

Kel laughed and asked Dom where he was headed.

"I'm actually grabbing my horse to go for a ride with Meathead, who you'll recall is my cousin. Would you like to join us? I'm sure Neal wouldn't mind."

Feeling restless Kel agreed and saddled up Peachblossom. She had ridden Hoshi on the ride in that morning. She had an entertaining if chilly afternoon with Dom and Neal in the Royal Forest.

The next evening was the start of the Midwinter parties. Kel accompanied Raoul but found herself itching for something to do. All the people her age were either only interested in each other or serving as servers. The only other person from the King's Own that had come was Dom since although he was only a second son he was the second son of a very prestigious family. He spent a large part of the night with his family including Duke Baird.

Besides the squires, Dom, Raoul, Buri and Alanna Kel knew only Yuki and Shinko. This party was one of the first that Prince Roald and Shinko had attended together and Kel could tell they were stiff as boards together. Kel sighed she didn't want Shinko's marriage to be one of polite formalities only but she didn't know the prince very well. Thinking about the problem Kel caught Neal's eye and beckoned him over.

"How well do you know the prince?"

"Pretty well. I wouldn't say we're best friends but we're friendly."

"Would you be comfortable getting him to come join a discussion with Raoul and Buri?"

"Ah, sure I guess. I'll recruit a couple others I know he was friends with, but why?"

"I haven't completely worked it out yet but I'm trying to get Prince Roald and Shinko to relax with each other. So don't do anything just yet."

"Shinko?"

"Princess Shinkokami. She has given me permission to call her Shinko."

"I don't suppose you could finagle me an introduction to her companion do you?"

"Since I'm sure Yuki will be part of the discussion I don't see why not."

"Well, then, now we're talking. I'll round up Cleon and a few of Roald's year mates."

"Wait until I talk to Raoul, Buri and Yuki first."

Kel went off to talk to her other three soon to be conspirators. Buri and Raoul were both relieved to have something to do that would get them away from the crush in the main ballroom. Yuki was ecstatic over the plan, although only her words gave her away.

"This is excellent! She is worried that Prince Roald will not like her if she shows an interest in unwomanly things but I think this is nonsense."

"I agree. Neal and his friends should be able to get a small break from their duties to help let me go check."

Soon Neal, Cleon and some other squires Kel didn't recognize had convinced the prince that he really did want to hear the story of the bandit capture that Raoul and Buri had headed that spring. Yuki and Kel convinced Shinko to come as well. Soon both were comfortably asking questions of Raoul and Buri, even Kel. Other visitors came and went from the small room that Raoul and Buri had stationed themselves in.

Neal and his friends soon had to go back to serving but not before Neal made sure he had been introduced to Yukimi. Kel noticed Neal watching Yuki as he served drinks and finger foods. More interestingly she saw Yuki looking right back from behind her fan.

Later Yuki found Kel and asked, "That young man, Neal of Queenscove. Who is he?"

While Kel was tempted to tease she replied, "He is the son of a duke, the oldest surviving son. And not just any duke. Duke Baird is the King's personal Healer and the house of Queenscove has always served in important positions for the throne."

"Yes but what about him?"

"Ah… he is a squire to Alanna. He loves to joke and is great fun to hang around with. He's a little clumsy with his weapons but I'm sure Alanna is beating that out of him. He is a good man. He entered page training five years later than most after his three older brothers had all been killed in the wars."

"I see. Thank you, Kel."

Kel retired for the night feeling that Roald and Shinko seemed to be on the right path to at the very least a friendly marriage even if it was not a grand passion and she was glad she had had a hand in helping them feel comfortable with each other.

The morning of last day of Midwinter Kel woke early, dressed quietly and slipped out her room without waking Raoul. Jump followed her as she walked silently to the Chapel that held the Chamber of Ordeal. The last squire that year had had his Ordeal yesterday. Bracing herself Kel placed her hand on the door of the Chamber.

_ Recognition. You again. _Then she fell into a vision. _The city was rioting. The position of People's Champion had been disgraced by years of nobles abusing their position, taking bribes to ensure outcomes and often being some of the worst offenders against the commoners. Since the People's Champion couldn't challenge himself his abuses went nearly unchecked. This years holder of the title Vinson of Genlith had raped and murdered three women of the Lower City with no legal repercussions. King Jonathon had never fulfilled his promise to change the law since the People's Champion appeared to appease the people. But now, now the people were so enraged they had stormed the castle. Kel had been part of the troops trying to fight them back, even though she felt their grievances were justified. In the end their overwhelming numbers had won the day. Kel felt herself wrapped in chains and gagged as she watched a tribune judge all of her friends._

_ "Vinson of Genlith… rape and murder of 3 women."_

_ "Execute him!"_

"_Sir Nealan of Queenscove… killed at least 6 men personally during the taking of the palace and directed the assault from the nobles' wing."_

_ "Execute him!" chanted the crowds. Kel watched helplessly as Neal was led away by a set of burly guards, who looked like they might have been blacksmiths, in the same direction as Vinson._

_ "Princess Shinkokami and Lady Yukimi of the Yamani Islands… each killed three men during the taking of the palace."_

_ "Execute them!"_

_ "Lord Raoul of Goldenlake…"_

_ "Execute him!"_

_ "Domitan of Masbolle"_

_ "Prince Roald"_

_ "Lord Piers and Lady Ilane of Mindelan"_

_ And so the list continued almost like a herald at a royal ball. No! Kel tried to shout. We are different than those like Vinson. We never harmed the commoners. We have tried to stand up for them! We were only defending our king as is our duty. But the list continued._

Kel yanked her hand from the door of the Chamber. Breathing hard, sweat running down her face she tried to collect herself.

"Never. I will never let that happen." Wetting her dry mouth she spit on the floor and walked out with Jump following at her heals.

She headed to the practice areas where she pushed herself as hard and as fast as she could in order to remove the image of her friends and family being led to the executioner's block.

Shinko, Yuki, Alanna, Buri and the Queen were not having a training session today. In fact, they hadn't had one since the Midwinter Parties began since all of them were up late into the night. So Kel was not expecting anyone to find her on the practice field. When a shadow fell over her vision she fell back into a fighting stance with her sword.

"Relax, it's just me," said Dom. He stood there looking at her for a moment. "Did you know that I was the one who saw you on the practice fields that first day and told Raoul he needed to come see you work out?"

Kel remained silent although she had relaxed her stance.

"When Sir Raoul first told me that you were a girl and that he was still going to take you on for training I thought he was crazy. But then I remembered watching you. You are like fluid in motion with that glaive, your weaponless workouts look as smooth and effortless as any Shang I've ever seen and I've seen you joust with that maniacal gelding of yours and nail that flimsy little willow hoop every time. You drive me crazy, Kel."

With that Dom leaned down and kissed her on the lips. It was brief but enough to have Kel's head buzzing in shock.

"I'm glad you joined the King's Own."

Before she could gather her wits he had run out of the practice grounds. Kel stood there watching the gate that Dom had run out of and touched her lips. That had been nice.

A few days after the astonishing kiss, Third Company rode out to perform some fairly routine tasks. They escorted an ambassador to the border, George found a nest of pirates that he led the Company to and after they had been taken care of Raoul took them off to the Great Southern Desert for some training with the Bazhir. Kel's jousting lessons served as entertainment for both her comrades in the Own and almost all of the Bazhir camp.

Kel was not precisely avoiding Dom, merely going out of her way not to be alone with him. It was easy enough to pretend that everything was normal when Dom was Captain Dom reporting to Raoul or planning strategy. Even when Dom was just one of the men in a large group Kel felt comfortable. But every once in a while she would catch a glance from Dom that proved that Dom had certainly not forgotten the kiss he had given her in the practice yard.

Finally Third Company headed back to the Palace, which was eerily empty. The Grand Progress had finally begun and every one who was anyone had accompanied the King and his court. Waiting for them in Raoul's room was a command from King Jon to catch up with the progress with all due speed. Kel suspected all due speed was going to be not very speedy when she watched Raoul thoroughly unpack his bags.

"Uh, Sir, His Majesty did say all due speed."

"Yes, and we will proceed with all due speed once the company has had a few days to… recover and rest themselves. It is very important for a company to have a good amount of rest between engagements," said Raoul with a deliberate smirk.

"This didn't work all that well last time," remarked Kel.

"She's right," added Dom as he stepped into the room. "In fact, if you continue to do this King Jon may put you on permanent assignment to the Palace."

"He sees us as an ornament for his throne," growled Raoul, "Not as a viable fighting unit that is an integral part of the safety of the kingdom. We'll leave when the Company has had sufficient rest."

Dom and Kel looked at each other. Kel shrugged, she agreed with Raoul but a royal command was a royal command no matter which way you looked at it. However, Kel suspected that while the Palace might appear to be empty _someone_ was still sending reports to the King when two days later they received a curt missive ordering them out of the Palace.

The Progress soon came into sight since it did not make nearly as good time as the Third Company. Third Company merged onto the back of the progress and Kel, Dom and Raoul rode for the front where King Jonathon rode.

The King's scowl was quite pronounced although Kel thought Thayet looked at least a little amused. Prince Eitaro who was escorting Shinko made way for Raoul but Kel and Dom hung back.

Kel thought the King looked as if it took a great deal of his strength not to snap, "Where were you?" Manfully he restrained himself.

"Oakbridge has found someone willing to host you in the city, quite close to the governor's palace, so that you will not have to worry about being late to social events."

"Thank you, Sire." Kel was immediately suspicious, "I am surprised, though, that he found anyone willing to host a gryphon chick, a flock of sparrows and my captain."

King Jon looked at Raoul sharply. "You cannot expect to bring that animal…"

"But, Sire, Kyle Mindle is my secretary, where I go so must he."

"You've never so much as brought your own servant on a campaign before."

"I've found Kyle to be indispensable I don't know that I would be able to get anywhere on time without him."

The King's anger flashed across his face. "Fine, tell the Lord Seneschal to find you all a place in the camp."

As they rode away Raoul remarked, "Serve him right if I had you bring the gryphon into the ballroom. Why he isn't satisfied with First Company I'll never understand.

The three of them rode back to where Lord Seneschal was trying to organize the camp. After some assorted hair pulling and frustrated grunting the Seneschal put them on the camp map and sent someone to escort them to their assigned area.

Raoul's tent was full sized knight's tent complete with semi-separate squire's area. Dom was in a smaller captain's tent nearby. After they had settled their stuff and inspected the area where the rest of Third Company was camped Kel headed over to where the Yamani contingent was staying.

There she found Shinko and Yuki about to start a game of fan toss which she joined in; slightly rusty and nowhere close to as graceful as the other Yamani ladies. Having to concentrate entirely on the motion of the fan Kel was unaware of the audience they had drawn.

Suddenly she heard from behind her, "That looks like fun may I join in?" She saw Neal's hand reach out and miraculously the dull base of the shukusen landed in his palm and did not even slide from his grasp although he was startled by the weight.

The Yamanis and Kel all stared at Neal. Then Yuki took the fan back from Neal and handed it to Shinko, "You would be wise to consider carefully what you touch in a Yamani woman's possessions," and swept into the tent.

Neal looked nonplussed until Kel took the fan from Shinko's hand, found a stout pole and, swinging lightly, chopped it neatly in half. She handed the fan back to Shinko who took it and followed Yuki into the tent, her ladies trailing after her.

"There is a Yamani saying: Beware the women of the warrior class, for all they touch is both beautiful and deadly," said Kel quietly, "Meathead, that was a shukusen, a ladie's fan, which you somehow caught by the correct end. Yamani ladies carry the fan into a dangerous situation if a more obvious weapon would be an insult. If you had not caught the dull end there is a good chance at least half your hand would be on the ground right now and neither your father nor Alanna would be able to fix it. But I think Yuki will forgive you for your stupidity eventually."

"I think I would like one of those fans," came a voice from behind Kel. It was the queen, "But first I would like to know how a young Tortallan man has come to learn the fan games of Yamani ladies."

So this is one of the longest chapters I've written but since a lot of it is dialogue I figured it would be fast reading. Reviews are appreciated; they especially help motivate me to write more and help me correct errors. I know the pace has really slowed down but I thought establishing Kel in an almost but not quite the same milieu was important. I will hopefully be getting to more divergence from the book soon. Thanks again for reading.

FyreDragyn


	9. Confrontations

Hey everybody. Thanks for being so patient with me. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed since my last update. FyreDragyn

* * *

Kel thought furiously. She needed to have answer that would fit both Thayet's view of her as a man and Buri's view of her as a commoner.

"Your Majesty, my family served on a delegation to the Yamani Islands when I was young," so far only the truth. "I have a sister only a few years older who made friends with some of the noble ladies," also true. "We were very close and I did not make friends easily so she often took me with her to play with the ladies. This is how I learned both the _naginata_ and the fan dance," a blatant lie.

The queen still looked skeptical, "And why were you invited just now to play?"

Kel bowed low, "The Princess and her companion Yukimi noh Daiomoru were two of the ladies that my sister made friends with and they remembered that I knew how to play the game." Please don't ask what family I served, Kel thought to herself although she masked her thoughts carefully.

"I see and what fam…."

"Thayet, leave the boy alone. He was playing a game with some childhood friends. You already knew that he was proficient in the glaive why should this be any different?" Surprisingly, Kel's rescuer was not Alanna but Buri. Kel understood why Alanna had kept quiet, any defense from her would raise more suspicion but she was surprised when Buri spoke up.

Thayet looked searchingly at Kel who wore her best Yamani face. Then she looked at Buri and Alanna who also wore carefully blank looks. Finally she turned to Raoul who had also somehow appeared, "You have a very valuable young man there, Commander. I hope we will continue to see great things from him."

Was it Kel's imagination or did the Queen place an odd emphasis on the words "man" and "him." She hoped, with a fervency she cautiously did not show, that the Queen was not remembering a young woman Buri had introduced to her on the practice courts who had also been quite good at the glaive.

Thayet turned back to Kel, "I would like to acquire one of those fans, young man. Would it be polite to simply ask my future daughter-in-law to have one made for me?"

"I'm sure Princess Shinkokami has many shukusen among her possessions, Your Majesty, and would not mind gifting you with one." Kel was pretty sure that Shinko wouldn't mind since the King and Queen had waived the traditional presents required by Yamani in-laws.

Thayet nodded and walked away with Buri and Alanna. Kel remained behind with Neal, who had managed to fade into the metaphorical woodwork when Thayet had been asking questions, Raoul, Dom, Jump and the sparrows.

The sparrows let out a chorus of cheeps, rose in a flurry of wings and flew off, presumably to find something to eat. Jump set himself down on her right side as Raoul and Dom studiously avoided eye contact her and each other.

"Is it really considered a women's only game?" asked Neal, "It looked quite fun."

"I'm afraid so. I haven't played since I left the Yamani Islands. But since we are in Tortall, perhaps you can help make it a game for both men and women. It can really improve your reflexes a lot and is quite fun as you said."

Neal looked at his cousin and Raoul. "I think it's safe for you two to laugh now… uh, sir."

Dom and Raoul looked at each and began to laugh. Kel might have called it hysterical giggling if it had been even a tad bit more uncontrolled or in slightly less masculine tones.

Kel sighed and looked at Neal, "I can't figure out who or what exactly they're laughing at."

"Come off it, _Kyle_, you don't need to hide anything from me."

Kel looked at Neal, "_I_ certainly didn't think it was that funny."

"That's cause you were the one the Queen was asking questions of. The rest of were conveniently able to watch the Queen face one of the best stonewalls I've ever seen," managed Raoul between gasps of laughter.

Kel rolled her eyes which only managed to set Dom and Raoul off and again and Neal seemed very close to bursting into laughter as well. Kel sighed again, causing Neal to lose control, and walked away, leaving three grown men so convulsed with laughter that they couldn't walk.

* * *

Thayet looked at Jonathan as he crossed the room to the bed they were sharing in the Baron of Whitethorn's castle. Jon had crows feet at the corners of his eyes and his hair was no longer the pure coal black that it had been when they married, but he had otherwise not changed much physically. Inwardly he had grown more confident in his power. Not that he had ever been unconfident but now he wielded his power more skillfully and she thought to better use.

"Jonathan, have you ever heard of a _shukusen_?"

King Jonathan of Conte looked at his wife; her beauty had not been lessened by their years of marriage. The strands of gray in her dark hair merely accented her strong features. He considered her question.

"Maybe, I vaguely remember Lady Ilane making some comment about how useful they are but I don't precisely remember what it is. I assume it is Yamani."

"It is a ladies fan carried by Yamani women of the upper classes when they wish to carry a weapon without causing offense. It has a steel blade along one edge and appears to be quite deadly if applied correctly. I think I'd like a couple. I talked to Shinkokami and Prince Eitaro after dinner and both seemed very willing to obtain some for me. The curious thing, though, is that I found Kyle Mindle playing a game of Toss the Fan with Shinko and her ladies."

At the mention of Kyle Mindle's name the King's manner shifted from absent minded listening to intense focus.

"That's interesting. I wonder how a young man learned to play a game involving a ladies fan?"

"I asked him myself. He gave me a story about tagging along with an older sister when his family served a delegation to the Yamani's. I didn't ask which family he served but don't you think Lady Ilane or Baron Piers might know who he is since they've been the heads of every delegation for the last ten years?"

"They might. Although one can't expect them to know every child of every servant in their entourage. Where are they staying?"

"They have accommodations close to the Yamani contingent I believe."

Jon smiled, "What would I do without you?"

"I'm sure I wouldn't know," Thayet replied tartly pulling her husband down for a thorough kiss. One thing led to another and the King and Queen quickly forgot a mysterious young man named Kyle Mindle.

* * *

Early morning sunlight streamed through the tent flap illuminating the figure inside who was carefully checking the buckles on a full suit of armor. Ilane of Mindelan looked at her youngest daughter. Although her hair was cut like a boy's and her clothes were worn and well used although of fine material. Keladry had never looked happier thought Ilane.

"May I come in?" she asked from the entrance of Kel's side of the tent.

Kel looked up from the armor and gasped happily, "Mother!"

Kel had known that her parents were on the progress. How could they not be since they were trusted by the Yamani's as no other Easterners were? However, she had not anticipated how much she had missed her parents. She had seen them once or twice while she was training with Alanna but they were often in the Yamani Islands and she was often busy with training so their visits had been brief and sporadic.

"Kel, you look wonderful! I assume that is Lord Raoul's armor you are checking. I heard he is jousting in the tourney tomorrow."

"Yes. This is the first time I've got to act like a real squire. Most of my squire duties involve getting dumped in the mud by Sir Raoul's lance."

Ilane laughed, "How have you been. I haven't seen you in too long. What have you been up to? Have you kept up with the naginata?"

"Yes, Mother. In fact I've been helping Shinko and Yuki train the Queen, Buri and Alanna."

"Ahh. And I heard a commotion yesterday about a game of Fan Toss which the Queen interrupted?"

"Well actually my friend Neal interrupted first. He just stepped in and grabbed the fan!" Kel was grateful that her mother appeared equally indignant over Neal's stupidity.

"I see. And the Queen?"

"Saw me playing and heard me telling Neal what he had almost done and started asking questions."

"And?"

"I think I managed to come up with a fairly convincing story about tagging along with my older sister because I didn't make friends easily and learning how to play the game while my family served the delegation. I did manage not to offer a name but I'm pretty sure the Queen is still a little suspicious."

"With good reason. Don't you think this pretense is a little unnecessary now?"

Kel shrugged, "Sir Raoul has mentioned a command position in the Own. I do not know how I could hold that if it was generally known that I was a female. And also what about the other girls? If everyone knew that Alanna had trained me it would not be hard to put two and two together and find everyone else"

"Hmmm. Well you convinced the Queen at least temporarily that you are who you say you are and she left?"

"Yes, leaving me with Neal, Sir Raoul and Dom who were laughing like the baboons we saw in the Emperor's menagerie." Kel scowled at the recollection.

Ilane smothered a grin at the comparison, "And who are Neal and Dom?"

"Neal is Alanna's squire. His father is Duke Baird."

"Ah yes, I remember about his sons. It was very tragic. I'm just grateful that our only casualty was Ander's injury. What about this Dom?" Ilane was intrigued to notice a faint blush on her daughter's cheeks.

"He's the captain for Third Company and Neal's cousin."

"A handsome young man?"

"Mother…."

"Kel, I want you to know that you're free to make your own choices. You're outside the regular marriage market mentality, which incidentally appears to have made off with your sisters' brains."

Kel had to laugh at the image that conjured up but quickly sobered as her mother continued.

"You don't have to worry about being a virgin for your husband. If you want to sleep with this Dom then go ahead but make sure you take precautions."

"But, Mama, I don't want all that. It's all complications. And besides I'm only fifteen." But she blushed as she said it. Dom was very attractive after all _and_ he'd kissed her.

Ilane smiled at her daughter, "I wasn't that much older than that when I got married to your father."

Seeing the look on Kel's face Ilane chuckled, "Well, perhaps you should visit a healer just in case. You never know what might happen."

Kel and Ilane talked for a short while longer then Ilane left Kel to continue her inspection of Sir Raoul's armor.

"I'll make sure your father knows what you told the Queen so we don't muff up your story."

"Thanks, Mama. I love you."

* * *

Raoul jousted the next day and won handily. Kel watched from the sidelines. After having jousted under Raoul's tutelage for several years she was well able to pick out the best jousters on the field. 

One of the knights that Kel especially noticed was Sir Wyldon of Cavall, the page trainer who had been a major factor in the decision to have a probationary year for female pages. Raoul did not joust with him but rather jousted the bout after him so he was able to point out some of Sir Wyldon's techniques to Kel.

"So what do you do when you joust with him, Sir, if he's that good?"

"I don't."

"What?"

"I don't joust with Sir Wyldon anymore. It bruises my pride."

Kel looked up at her commander to see if he was joking. While he did look amused she didn't think he was joking.

"Sir Wyldon is a better jouster than me. I have no problem admitting it in private but it would slightly undermine me with the men don't you think?"

Kel watched as Sir Wyldon deftly popped the opposing knight out of the saddle. "Well I don't think any less of you, Sir."

"What's with the sirring?"

"Ah, I figured since you were here in your capacity as a knight instead of my commander it would be appropriate."

"I see, well if it's merely a matter of form… " He was laughing at her but Kel didn't want someone to hear her neglect the formality and make an issue of it. She was already on shaky ground and couldn't afford to draw anymore attention to herself.

* * *

The weeks passed fairly uneventfully. Kel had her hands full. She was still caring for the gryphon which was growing more and more independent each day. She trained with the Own and received "special" lessons from Raoul. In fact she had a small fan base among the Yamani ladies who came to watch her "learn how to fly." 

Kel also spent a considerable amount of time with the other squires. She sometimes reflected that if she had chosen the probationary year she would have train with some of these boys for at least a year. Some she befriended easily others she did her best to avoid.

Those she avoided were generally led by an arrogant squire, two years her senior, named Joren of Stone Mountain squire to Sir Paxton of Nond. Joren was icily handsome and was well aware of this fact. Kel heard nasty rumors of his and his friends' treatment of the servants and other commoners. She even heard from the younger squires that he and his friends had beaten one of the younger pages so badly he had to be sent home. She wondered why it was that people like Joren and Garvey and Vincent were allowed to train as knights with no probation but she was not.

Every other night there seemed to be another party or political function that Raoul was required to attend. He took unholy pleasure in forcing Kel to come as well using the excuse that she needed to learn to move in noble circles if she wanted to become a commander. As a result Kel occupied a strange position as not quite noble but more than a commoner.

One night when Kel was on her way back from a particularly boring political gathering which she had left early on the pretext of having to feed the gryphon chick (which was partly true) she heard a murmur of voices and then cruel masculine laughter. She followed the laughter around a corner to find Joren and his friends surrounding Lerant who already had a bloody nose.

While Lerant and Kel could not be called friends exactly they had resolved most of their differences and now coexisted in a friendly manner. Lerant was at least a head shorter than the boys that surrounded him and while not a bad fighter he was greatly outnumbered. Kel walked closer followed by Jump.

"Squeal as loud as you want, Eldorne, no one is going to hear you," said one of Joren's cronies.

"And who would wish to rescue such traitorous little worm anyway," added another, "Everyone knows you would just turn on the hand that helped you."

"Milord Raoul trusts me," Lerant returned.

"Milord Raoul is a fool. He associates with sandscuts and women who think they can be warriors. He chooses traitors like you over honorable sons of noble families. Perhaps he likes your pretty face, Eldorne. Is that how you go your position?" said Joren himself.

Lerant looked about to try to attack Joren. Kel thought quickly.

"You are a coward," she announced calmly.The crowd of boys swung around to face her.

"You pick on someone years younger than you, with half your training in a dark corner. Then you insult our commander, as well as Sir Alanna, Commander Buriram, the Queen and half the Riders behind their back because you are too afraid to say it in public."

Joren sneered nastily, "And what are you going to do about it? Sic your dog on me? Run home to Papa Raoul? Perhaps you are the one who earned his position with his face?"

"I won't have to tell Raoul…" began Kel but suddenly a large group rounded the corner with many torches and nobles. Joren and his group melted into the darkness. The group passed, too caught up in their own conversations to notice Kel and Lerant.

Kel stretched her hand down to Lerant who ignored it and stood on his own.

"I didn't need your help," he muttered resentfully.

Kel looked at him silently for a moment, "I didn't interfere for you. I interfered for Sir Raoul and everyone else he insulted who aren't here to defend themselves."

Lerant shrugged and didn't look convinced, "He wouldn't have accepted a challenge from you, you know. You're not really a squire or a knight so he doesn't have to accept."

Again Kel looked steadily at Lerant. She hadn't thought about Joren refusing her challenge.

"We'll see about that," she said as she began to process an idea.

* * *

Over the next week posters began to appear with statements about the behavior of Joren and several of his main cronies wherever the Progress made camp. Allegations ranged from abuse and rape to extortion. All named the names of the perpetrators although the victim's names were often omitted. All were signed "Protector of the Small." That had been Neal's idea. 

Kel had started out on her project by herself but Neal had found her working on the first of the announcements and expressed enthusiasm at least for the first part of the plan. Neal had also proven to be a wealth of information about Joren's treatment of his fellow pages when he had been a third and fourth year page. Kel was appalled to learn that Joren's bullying tactics had seriously injured several boys and yet had had no repercussions from Lord Wyldon.

"Are you really going to challenge Joren?"

Kel looked up from the final announcement she was writing, "Yes, he needs to learn that he can't treat people like this and besides he impugned Raoul, Alanna, Buri and the Queen's honor. Don't you think he should have to answer to that?"

"Well yes but maybe to someone older, either with more authority or more experience."

Kel looked at her friend in exasperation, "That would just prove that I'm a whining tattletale."

Neal shrugged, "I think I've figured out by this point that there's no stopping you when you've made up your mind."

Kel grinned at him, "One would hope, since your Knight Mistress is similarly stubborn."

The final announcement went up that evening with the help of servants from every part of the Progress. From ladies maid to twelfth assistant pot scrubber each of them recognized the danger a man like Joren posed.

The next morning the Progress awoke to find a simple but provocative challenge posted on every available surface.

_Squire Joren of Stone Mountain,_

_I, the Protector of the Small, challenge you to a joust in two days time for your insults. You will find us registered with tournament clerk for the fifth bell past sunrise. If you fail to arrive I will be forced to add cowardice to your already long list of crimes._

_Protector of the Small_

Speculation ran rampant as to who the mysterious "Protector of the Small" might be even amongst the Own. That evening Kel sat with a group of men, including Dom, mending worn gear while they wondered who he might be.

"Well I say it's got to be someone close to him. How else could he know so much about his goings on?"

"Not necessarily. Servants gossip incredibly. Almost worst than the courtiers."

"But then he'd have to be a commoner for the servants to tell him such stuff."

Dom looked up from his work, "Who says it's got to be a man?" The men looked at him in confusion.

"Think about it, many of those announcements involved women. What if one of them has decided to pay him back," continued Dom.

"But we know all the trained female fighters and none of them has said anything."

"Why would she have? Or perhaps she wasn't trained formally."

"Well if she don't have formal training she or he is going to be massacred on that field tomorrow."

The conversation continued round and round. In another part of the Progress a similar conversation was taking place.

"Jon, have you seen the posters about Joren of Stone Mountain?"

King Jonathon looked at his wife who was putting the final touches on her outfit for the evening in exasperation, "Yes, dear."

"Who do you suppose it is?"

"I don't know and everyone I trust isn't speculating. Unfortunately everyone who certifiably has only half a brain is speculating rampantly. Have you heard there are several betting groups as to the identity of the 'Protector of the Small?'"

"I know you said you can't prosecute the Stone Mountain boy without real evidence but have you read some of the things on those posters and he simply ignores them, or at least appears to."

Jonathon sighed, "Unless one of his victims comes forward I can't prosecute on the evidence of an anonymous poster. I'm really having enough trouble convincing all the conservatives who weren't in the city that this People's Champion is necessary. Thank Mithros that Sir Inness agreed to take the role for that case with the ladies' maid but he's not interested in it long term. We should leave. If we're late Oakbridge will go into spasms again."


	10. Questions and Competitions

Sorry for the long delay in updating. I had a semi-crisis and rewrote parts of this chapter several times and with several different scenarios. (As well as traveling around Australia and then dealing with a crazy semester). Your patience is greatly appreciated. Thanks for all the reviews over the past months and even those readers who didn't review but still let me know they were reading by adding my story to their favorites list. I hope you enjoy the new chapter. FyreDragon

Dom looked across the campfire at Kel with her faithful dog curled up at her feet. He supposed the sparrows had retired for the night. Dom suspected she was the one who had been putting up the Protector of the Small posters, particularly since she and his cousin had suddenly become thick as thieves holing up in her tent for several hours at a time. If he didn't know that Neal was enamored with the Yamani, Yuki, he might have been horribly jealous. As it was he was still slightly jealous that Kel had confided in Neal and that Neal got to spend hours alone with Kel. Suddenly Kel looked up and caught him staring at her.

"Did you want something, Captain?"

Making a quick decision Dom said, "Yes. Could we talk for a moment, privately?"

Kel looked at him considering. Privately? Did she want to go have a private conversation with Dom who she had been studiously avoiding being alone with since Midwinter? She discovered the answer was yes when her mouth agreed without her brain's permission.

"Sure, right now?"

Dom nodded and motioned her to follow him. He stopped in the shadow of one of the large trees surrounding the camp. Kel followed with Jump trailing behind. The previous night he had tried to see what her reaction would be if he hinted at his suspicions in front of the men but Kel had not let the mask she had learned to use in the Yamani Islands slip.

Deciding the direct approach was best Dom said casually, "So do you think you'll be able to beat him tomorrow morning?"

Kel kept her face carefully blank, "I'm sorry, who are you talking about?"

"Come off it Kel. You and my Meathead of a cousin have been holing up in your tent for hours at a time for a week now. And the timing of these long interludes seems to coincide closely with the hanging of the Protector of the Small posters."

Kel didn't answer him.

"What I'd like to know though is what set it all off. I'm pretty sure you're not crazy enough to just decide that you should attack a squire from one of the oldest noble families in Tortall just for kicks."

After a long silence Kel sighed, "He was ganging up on Lerant and he insulted Raoul, the Bazhir and every female fighter. I was going to challenge him but Lerant pointed out that I'm not noble, or at least Kyle Mindle isn't noble, so I wanted to force him to joust with me. But, Dom, every one of those posters is true. I didn't even need to look very hard. Almost every servant has had a run in with Joren's gang and some of the stories Neal could tell you about when they were pages are horrifying. And no one has ever held them responsible for any of it."

Dom didn't think he'd ever heard Kel say so much all at once. He'd read the posters but he'd never really thought about victims as individuals. They were anonymous and distant to him but it seemed that Kel had met them personally.

"But…"

"It's not even about his insults anymore, Dom, it's about getting justice for those he's wronged. They have no place to turn. If the servants report it they're more likely to lose their jobs than to get justice. And…"

Dom held up his hands, "I believe you. I agree that those people deserve something. But do you really think that defeating him in a joust is it?"

"What else is there? The King has yet to change the law and there is no current People's Champion since no wants the job."

Dom thought about it for a moment, "But perhaps he should answer to someone with more authority…"

"Now you sound like Neal."

"Mithros forbid."

"If I take everything I know to someone in authority first off I will look like a puling tattletale and second they will want proof and I can't give them that without exposing my friends among the servants."

Dom rubbed his face with his hands. He really had no other arguments other than the fact that he didn't want her to risk her future on a joust.

"As for your first question, yes I can beat him. He's decent; you'd almost have to be if Lord Wyldon trained you. But I'm better. I've been getting personal lessons from Raoul for a year now and I've watched Joren joust. I know I can do this."

"How can I help then?"

"You're not going to argue more?"

"No. I can't come up with anymore logical reasons you shouldn't do it. But have you thought about how you're going to disguise yourself? You're going to need coverings for Peachblossom, since I assume you're riding him, or everyone who knows you will recognize your crazy horse. Do you have armor that doesn't have either your own, Raoul's or the King's Own's symbols on them?"

"Yes, yes and yes. My armor didn't have anything on it to begin with since I got it from Alanna and she bought it before we knew for sure what I would be doing. And I have half armor for Peachblossom anyway I'll just use a full body blanket. I've ridden him a couple times with it on and he doesn't seem to mind."

"I assume then that you don't mind Alanna recognizing you. What about your face?"

"A helmet, of course."

"What if it falls off?"

"You're being ridiculous. Unless he aims for my head, that's not going to be a problem."

Having run out of problems Dom changed the topic. Moving closer to her he said, "I'm glad that the reason you and Neal were getting together so much was those posters. And it's a good thing my cousin is a Meathead."

Kel looked at him in puzzlement.

"See if I had been alone with you in your tent I would have wanted to do this," and Dom kissed her, slowly and thoroughly.

They were both breathing heavily when he finally lifted his head. Jump sat next to them looking bored.

"I don't know if I want this, Dom. I have so many plans. So many things I want to do."

Dom closed his eyes briefly, "I know and I'm kind of, although not really, one of your commanding officers. I don't want to take advantage of you."

"You're not. I am attracted to you Dom."

"Shhh. I'm not going to say we'll forget about this, because I know I'm not going to, but I won't bring it up again. But know that if or when you decide you're ready for this, I'll be waiting."

"Dom…"

"No we're not talking about this anymore tonight. Go to bed. I'll tell everyone you weren't feeling well which will also give you an excuse to miss the joust that everyone has been anticipating anxiously for two days. Is Neal helping you with your armor in the morning?"

Kel swallowed the lump in her throat, "Yes and one of my friends who works in the stables is getting Peachblossom ready for me."

"Well then, good night Kel." He kissed her on the forehead and turned away back to the campfire.

Kel touched her forehead, "I'm so confused, Jump." Jump thumped his tail unhelpfully.

Kel shook her head. She needed to get herself ready to joust with Joren tomorrow. She would have to think about Dom and his mind fuzzing kisses later.

* * *

The morning of the joust dawned cloudy and drizzly. Kel left her tent early after feeding the gryphon to arm up in Neal's tent. She had had to tie Jump up inside her tent because there was no way to disguise him. The sparrows she'd managed to convince not to follow her to the jousting field. When she was armored she mounted Peachblossom who had been tied in the woods behind Neal's tent.

Neal looked up at her, "Are you sure?"

Kel sighed in exasperation, "Yes!"

She rode around the perimeter of the camp to arrive at the jousting field to avoid anyone seeing her. However, when she reached the field she realized she probably needn't have bothered since it appeared that every noble, servant and peasant on the Progress and from the surrounding area was squeezing in the stands. Even the King and Queen had decided to watch.

The tournament clerk knew who she was and waved her onto the field. Kel saw with considerable satisfaction that Joren was indeed on the other side.

Since she was already armed and mounted Kel settled in to wait for her opponent. She eyed his shield and his horse. The horse was dark, deep chested and seemed of good stock but as he stood fidgeting and restless Kel thought he was a relatively young horse. Peachblossom stood steady and calm beneath her. Perhaps she could use that to her advantage.

She saw Joren sneer when he finally noticed her. His notice drew the attention of the crowds whose voices rose to an even great pitch.

Finally Joren was ready. Trumpets announced the beginning of the match and the stands grew quiet. Kel accepted the lance one of the attendants handed her.

"Nobles," announced the herald, "You will have three tries to knock your opponent from their saddle. Abide by the Codes of Chivalry in this match."

Kel nodded. She knew that she would. She was just concerned about Joren; she wasn't sure he would recognize the Code of Chivalry if he tripped over it.

Trumpets sounded again. Kel lowered her lance and whispered to Peachblossom, "Charge."

Kel focused only on the shield in front of her. Just as in her practice sessions the target moved up and down in a rhythmic fashion as she moved closer to it. Kel matched herself to the rhythm and struck. At the same time she felt Joren's lance strike her own shield.

Compared to Raoul's the hit was feather light but it still made her shield arm tingle. As she rode back to her side she looked at the lance she held in her hand. She could see the large crack in so she handed it to the attendant. She also noticed Joren's young stallion fussing in the mud.

She knew she could hit him again in the same manner but she remembered a trick that Raoul had taught her. Kel was pretty sure she could pull it off.

Accepting a new lance Kel turned Peachblossom to face the lists again. When the trumpet sounded she again whispered, "Charge."

Raoul watched as Kel charged Joren for a second time. He had recognized her and Peachblossom almost immediately; you couldn't joust with a pair three or four times a week and not know their style intimately. Besides how many other jousters wore no spurs? He knew Peachblossom wouldn't stand for them.

Her first hit had been solid but unremarkable. He wondered what her plans were. He couldn't speculate with Alanna, sitting next to him, who he was pretty sure had also recognized the duo, because they shared the king's booth. Regardless of her strategy, though, he knew his student was better than the Squire Joren.

He quickly turned to Jon, "I'll put 5 silvers on the Protector."

Jon eyed him suspiciously, "Alright, I accept. Although, I don't know why since you obviously think you know something."

As the jousters reached each other Raoul suddenly knew what Kel was going to do. The slight lowering of her lance told him she would try to pry Joren out of the saddle. The two seemed to go into slow motion as they collided.

Raoul watched as Kel's lance caught Joren precisely as he had taught her on the lower rim of the shield and applied leverage to lift him out of the saddle. But then the boy's horse lost its footing swinging his rider around, perhaps unbalanced by the loss of his rider, and the lance which had been aimed at Kel's shield swung toward her head.

For Kel time seemed to slow as she watched the lance swing toward her head. She tried to duck it but couldn't move fast enough. The lance crashed into the side of her helmet. Kel saw stars but with the help of some quick stepping on the part of Peachblossom she managed to stay in the saddle.

Kel tried to collect her thoughts and assess the damage the lance had done. She was pretty sure the side of helmet had a very large dent in it which was causing the squeezing tightness she could feel. Hopefully the ringing in her ears would subside in a few moments and her eyes would begin to focus. She pointed Peachblossom in the general direction of her side of the field and he walked carefully forward.

When Peachblossom reached her side of the field she quickly ducked behind the flaps of the tent set up there. The stableboy who had tacked up Peachblossom was there.

"I need to go back out…"

"Let me fix y'er 'elmet first, miss." A few quick clangs with his fist had lessened the dent enough that Kel could at least wear it without pain.

When Kel walked back out of the tent Joren was still lying breathless in the mud in the center of the field. His second had caught his horse which had miraculously managed not to step on him but his servants milled about in confusion. He peered toward the group trying to see who had disgraced him. Kel approached him.

To the crowd the mysterious Protector of Small appeared still strong and confident in his victory. Kel was still dizzy and was glad Neal had made her practice her speech a million times since she doubted she would have remembered otherwise.

"Joren of Stone Mountain, you have treated anyone you perceive as lower ranking than yourself as garbage in some cases crossing the border into torture and rape. You are a disgrace to the Code of Chivalry which demands that a noble protect those weaker than himself. I stand for those people and I claim this victory in the name of all the people you have wronged both common and noble."

The commoners exploded into cheering but the reaction among the nobles was more mixed. Nevertheless, regardless of rank, everyone was wondering who this mystery warrior was. Granted Joren was still a squire but not an unskilled one.

Slowly the Protector of the Small turned away and began to walk back to tent that he had emerged from. Suddenly, Joren couldn't take the insult anymore and stuck his leg out to trip the still armored victor.

Kel saw Joren's leg but almost too late. She was still unbalanced, her ears were ringing and the armor was heavy but she managed to catch herself before she fell flat on her face. Unfortunately her helmet had not been put back on very securely and flew off to land a few handlengths away. Ducking her head and moving as quickly as her injured head would allow she scooped the helmet back up and crushed it onto her head but not before Joren had seen her face.

"You," he hissed. Kel turned around briefly as the crowd booed Joren's unchivalrous behavior. Luckily even the closest seats were still too far away for such a brief glimpse to have given her identity away to the crowd.

"Me," she calmly stated and walked back toward Peachblossom and her friends covered in mud and only wanting a hot bath and something to help her headache. She was too tired and hurt too much to think about all the problems that could arise from the fact that Joren had recognized her as Raoul's trainee.

Across the field Queen Thayet sitting in the royal box had a flash of inspiration.

"Jon, almost all of those posters were about commoners weren't they? Obviously this knight cares about them and they seem to support him, why don't we make him the People's Champion since none of the regular nobles seem to want the job."

Alanna and Raoul both nearly choked.

Jon eyed them suspiciously, "We don't even know who that was, Thayet."

"He seemed awfully young," supplied Raoul.

"And inexperienced," added Alanna as Raoul glared at her.

"And we don't know if he can repeat such a performance with any other weapons," responded Raoul and received a glare from Alanna in response.

The king watched them, "You two know something."

He watched in annoyed amusement as two of his closest friends attempted to assume expressions of innocent ignorance. Jon was not fooled for a minute but damned if he could how they would know the identity of the mysterious Protector of the Small. Unless they both knew him extremely well. But who would they both know that well?


End file.
